I spent a great percentage of my working life inside of a courtroom trying cases from dog bites to murder. Medical malpractice to child custody. Land disputes to will contests. I was not the usual lawyer of the times who did corporate work, drew wills, closed real estate transactions, and went home. While I did practice in some of these areas, trying cases in front of learned judges or not-so-learned juries was a totally different life experience.

When you are in the middle of a trial, you dont quit at 5 p.m. You work late into the evening preparing for the next day. Trials start at 10 a.m. and run to 4:30 in many cases. You have no time during the day to prepare. You are battling a competent opponent the entire time. You have to think on your feet. Even though much is now available to both sides through pretrial discovery, there is always a change in the presentation. A witness changes his or her testimony a bit from what was expected. Motions that were not really expected are made from the opponent. Rulings by the judge may also change your immediate direction.

In other words, you have to be alert, creative, and flexible. None of these creates calmness. And these trial days may go on for a while. My longest was 18 days from start to finish with only Saturdays and Sundays off. You go to bed each night and rethink the events of the day. Too often you curse yourself for a reaction or the lack of a reaction to something that was said or introduced. It is a constant rethink.

Second-guessing is not uncommon in many peoples lives. What should I have said? Or why didnt I think of that then? We trial lawyers do this rethink to ourselves all the time. I am sure some of the professional witnesses do the same. I am sure police officers testifying in a trial go home that night kicking themselves that they could have responded better. In criticizing an opponents argument, one might use one of the following to illustrate its inapplicability or a wrong conclusion.

It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. This from Sherlock Holmes in A Scandal in Bohemia by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

To fend off an attack on your argument, perhaps a form of comparison to this:

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of a complete fool.

Doug Adams in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

But when all the commotion is over, one might remember this:

Do as adversaries do in law, strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.

William Shakespeare in The Taming of the Shrew.

Those are my favorite quotes from the practice of law. Certainly they need to be reworded to meet a situation, but they have a core value. Over the years, harsh words have been exchanged between counsels, but there are limits that should be observed.

Years ago, I was trying a very cantankerous trial against the late Lennie Sacks, a most worthy advocate and opponent. All of a sudden, he tried to introduce something that was totally inadmissible. I objected but was also incensed. With that, Lennie came over to my table and asked if I would stipulate to an exhibit. I responded F- You, Lenny. He never said another word, finished with his witness, and the day was over. On the way out of court he looked at me and said, Denny, we are friends. You should not say f- you to a friend. You could say up your ss, or stick it where the sun dont shine, but not the f word. We are friends.

I was duly embarrassed, but had to laugh at the humor of his alternative suggestions. So I said to him, OK, up yours, and can I buy you a drink? We had that drink, and I had something to think about. That word disappeared from my vocabulary when used in any aggressive way. I had just used it against an attorney that I truly liked and respected. I wish I had said something instead, like after that cheap trick you just pulled, would anyone but an idiot agree to stipulate to anything?

But I didnt. So I decided that I would work on some retorts that could sting but not damage. Maybe I could have used Yogi Berras phrase, It aint over til its over, Lennie. So we should work on a list of comebacks that are firm but gentle and yet accomplish the purpose.

I must confess that a couple of weeks ago, I submitted an article in which I had famous retorts, one in particular about George Bernard Shaw. Shaw had an intense dislike of Winston Churchill and proved it by sending him a note. I have enclosed two tickets to the first night of my new play. Bring a friend, if you have one.

One of my readers later responded with an email about my article disclosing various classic putdowns and informed me that there was a second part to the Shaw/Churchill note. Apparently Mr. Churchill responded to Mr. Shaw, I cant make it for the opening night, but could come the second night if the play is still running. Not too bad, Mr. Churchill.

As I contemplate my retirement, especially in these times of the pandemic, I sometimes think that I miss those days of mental combat. I know I sleep better now, and I have more time to do things that I had thought about, but there is a gap some days for mental gymnastics and butting heads with very bright lawyers.

Excerpt from:
Dennis Marek: I wish I had thought of that - Kankakee Daily Journal

The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume button also turns to the left, once famously said Jerry M. Wright. We have just celebrated a rather significant birthday, a landmark, in the Thomas household. Yes, my wife is slowly and surely catching me up but I doubt she ever will.

To be honest I have got to the stage when I have to think twice when people ask me how old I am. Thats probably another sign of aging.

Just last week I was writing an article about the popularity of pop stars on social media. As I was reading the data it struck me that I hadnt heard of anyone on the list. I had no idea of what they sung or even what they looked like, and yet they were the major music influencers of today.

I am finding that one major advantage of aging is that I just dont give a damn anymore. I have trouble enough remembering pop stars from the 80s there is no room left in my brain for anymore. And not to mention the influencers, YouTubers, Tik Tok stars and reality TV show contestants.

This creation of a perfect online persona for social media, using the right filter and saying politically correct things, is unfortunately something that passed my generation by.

And dont get my started on fashion! There was a time, granted that was a long time ago, when Id spend half my salary in the clothes shop. Now Im just really looking for something that doesnt hurt me when I sit down. I went from haute couture to haute comfort.

When I was younger, I wasted so much time obsessing over matters I couldnt control. Not anymore! Remember those days when youd spend all Friday planning your weekend so as not to waste a minute, when it was all about seeing and being seen. Whilst I still enjoying a good night out if I am at home and in bed by 9 I dont care.

You get to a certain age when you finally realise whats significant and what quite frankly is the fluff of life, and believe me there is a s**t load of fluff. Your brain sorts things as a) important (which is usually around 10 percent) and b) delete.

And well all get old. No amount of Botox, cosmetic surgery or tablets will keep us young. The river of life only flows in one direction, and however many dams you put in the way the water will always find a way to flow. Of course you can still have fun, probably more, and grow old ungracefully. Which I fully intend to do!

Age is not how old you are, but how many years of fun youve had. And Im planning lots more fun. As the great George Bernard Shaw once wrote You dont stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing. The same man who wrote Those who seek paradise on earth should come to see Dubrovnik. So Im going to follow his advice to the letter and keep laughing in paradise on earth.

Of course, in my mind, I still have the body and fitness I did when I was in my twenties. Sadly, though, my body has a tendency to disagree with me if I push it too hard. And my mirror isnt on my side either, which is why Ive started to ignore it. Keeping my mind young, dusting off those grey cells, is becoming more important.

They say if you want to keep your mind young then mix with young people, which could be why so many professors marry their students. They are looking for the elixir of eternal youth. The English would say that you know youre getting old when policemen look older than you. To be honest I gave up with policeman a long time ago, now Im looking at the chief of police as a comparison.

And my Croatian adventure has seen me transform, in what seems to be a heartbeat, from being a ti to a vi. I used to jump in and correct people when they would say kako ste no, please, call me ti. But now I just think in my head Oh f**k it, who cares.

I recently was given a book entitled Are You Turning Into Your Dad. My first thought was, if someone told me I was turning into my dad that would be the highest compliment I could ever receive. And as I flicked the pages I realised that I had turned into my dad a long time ago.

And Ill leave you with a quote from the book from the one and only Ingrid Bergman Getting old is like climbing a mountain; you get a little out of breath, but the view is much better! Amen to that!

Read moreEnglishman in Dubrovnikwell, if you really want to

Go here to read the rest:
Getting old is like climbing a mountain; you get a little out of breath, but the view is much better - The Dubrovnik Times

In the aftermath of a military coup in Myanmar in February 2021, news reports and social media posts claimed to show an extraordinary piece of footage a woman conducting her regular aerobics class outdoors in the capital city of Naypyidaw, while in the background a convoy of military and police vehicles advance up the road towards the countrys parliament.

On Feb. 1, Aditya Raj Kaul posted the clip, along with the following description:

A woman did her regular aerobics class out in open without realizing that a coup was taking place in #Myanmar. A Military convoy reaching the parliament can be seen behind the woman as she performs aerobics. Incredible!

That particular clip was originally posted to Twitter by ngel Marrades, whose Spanish-language description also garnered thousands of shares.

On the morning of Feb. 1 (the evening of Jan. 31 in the United States), generals supportive of the political opposition deposed and detained controversial leader Aung San Suu Kyi, along with several of her allies, and installed a military regime they said would last for one year.

So the video footage, which was first posted to Facebook on Feb. 1, appeared to show vehicles heading towards the parliament and therefore the early moments of the coup.

Thats how it was reported by several news outlets including The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, and the New York Post, among others.

Those descriptions contained a degree of accuracy. The video is authentic, and there is no compelling reason to think the footage does not show what it seems to show the early moments of a military coup inadvertently recorded. However, evidence is lacking in relation to certain key factual considerations, such as when the video was recorded and what exactly the convoy was doing when driving towards the parliament. Taking those factors into account, we are issuing a rating of Mixture.

The video is real. The woman shown in it, a physical education teacher named Khing Hnin Wai, posted it to her Facebook account at 3 p.m. local time on Feb. 1 (3:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time). It can be viewed in full here.

Her exact location is the Royal Lotus Roundabout, around 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) east of the buildings that house the Assembly of the Union, Myanmars national legislature, in the capital city of Naypyidaw.

The location can be found on Google Maps here. The following street view photographs, taken in August 2018, approximately replicate the angle from which the video in question was shot and the reverse angle, which shows the portion of the roundabout on which Khing Hnin Wai stood and danced:

At first glance, the video may have appeared to have been created using a green screen backdrop because of the way in which Khing Hnin Wais shadow cuts off abruptly, as shown below:

However, that apparent visual anomaly makes sense once the viewer understands that she was standing on a raised platform with several sets of steps behind her, leading down to the road itself.

Over the past several months, Khing Hnin Wai has posted multiple videos of herself dancing and exercising in the exact same location, further underscoring the authenticity of the footage posted on Feb. 1:

In November 2020, she posted an exercise video, this time recorded from the reverse angle, meaning it showed the distinctive lotus sculpture at the center of the Royal Lotus Roundabout, further demonstrating that this was the habitual location for her aerobics videos.

Khing Hnin Wai posted the video to Facebook on the day of the coup and wrote about it in a way that clearly indicates it was also recorded that day. According to a translation by Agence France Presse, she wrote on Facebook: Before I heard the news (of the coup) in the morning, the video I made for the aerobic dance competition has become an unforgettable memory.

Though there is no compelling reason to suggest otherwise, we have not yet been able to verify that the footage was recorded on Feb. 1. If it was, then its likely the activities shown in the background were indeed related in some way to the coup, which the U.K.s Channel 4 News reported began with pre-dawn raids.

However, on Facebook, Khing Hnin Wai herself noted that it isnt unusual for an official convoy to appear in Naypyidaw, which is the site of virtually all national governmental, military, and diplomatic headquarters of note in the country.

As a result, we cannot rule out the possibility that the footage although authentic was recorded before Feb. 1, and therefore showed activities that were not related to that days military coup.

Link:

Did an Aerobics Video Show Parts of Myanmar Coup? - Snopes.com

The video of a woman doing her aerobics routine unperturbed by the Myanmar military coup that was taking place in the background went viral this week. The video clip got everyone talking online, with some dubbing it as an example of a dystopian world.

Now, taking it to a whole new level, Twitter user Jorge Gomes (@jmgvostpt) from Portugal morphed the vibing cat meme on it, alongside Turkish street performer Bilal Gregen.

As if that wasnt enough, a dancing Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders mitten picture the 2021s biggest meme theme was also added.

As the mashup video created quite a buzz, Gomes shared a rough cut of his file to let other add more memes and characters if they wanted. Now, from Coffin Dance meme to Salt Bae, there are plenty of rendition of the meme leaving all in splits.

While the videos started a laughter riot online, a few users noted that this phenomenon will be hard for historians to explain.

Earlier this week, a physical education teacher from Naypyidaw, Myanmars official capital gained instant fame on the internet as she continued her elaborate fitness routine on camera outside the parliament building arena, oblivious to the events happening behind her.

The woman was identified as Khing Hnin Wai, a 26-year-old aerobics instructor, who claimed she has been exercising in the same location for the past couple of months.

Read this article:

Meme mashup of Myanmar woman doing aerobics with vibing cat, Sanders and Trump is breaking the internet - The Indian Express

A woman whose workout video went viral after it accidentally captured Myanmar's military carrying out a coup says she was totally unaware what was going on behind her.

On Monday, civilian leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained along with hundreds of MPs as top generals overthrew the country's elected government.

Khing Hnin Wai, 26, was carrying out a colour morning routine in front of the road to parliament, oblivious to the serious political situation unfolding in the background.

In the video, a stream of military vehicles can be seen driving towards a tightened security checkpoint as the aerobics instructor dances and punches the air in a neon yellow and black outfit.

When the bizarre footage first emerged, many viewers questioned if it was real.

The PE teacher was totally focused on her routine and unable to get updates from the outside world due to a mobile signal blackout in the capital Naypyidaw, which lasted for nearly eight hours.

"I didn't know. I had no mobile signal and was not aware of what was happening behind me," Khing said.

An exercise enthusiast, she said she usually carries out her morning routine at the same location from 7am to 8:30am in order to compete in an aerobics competition organised by the education ministry.

The video she was filming was her entry, which she uploaded to social media.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

"I teach an aerobics class to my school children, and I am also joining the competition," Khing explained.

"During the pandemic, we can't go to an in-person class, so I am teaching them via online videos."

She wrote on her Facebook page (prior to the military government blocking access to the platform) that she knew those members of the security forces personally as she always exercises there.

"They even greeted me after the exercise on that day," she said.

Despite the popularity of the clip, Khing said she was worried people may wrongly believe that she was celebrating.

"That's why I wrote, please don't copy the video," she said.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

On Wednesday, police filed charges against de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who they claim illegally imported several walkie talkies.

If found guilty, she could face a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

She and President Win Myint, who faces charges relating to breaking COVID-19 rules, are currently due to be detained until 15 February.

Continued here:

Myanmar coup: Aerobics instructor 'not aware' of military takeover behind her in viral video - Sky News

MIGHTY TRENDING

Sandboxx

An aerobics instructor filming her exercise routine accidentally caught the beginning of a military coup in Myanmar earlier this week. The video shows a convoy of black military vehicles headed for the parliament complex in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmars capital city, as she goes about her workout.

The footage shows fitness instructor Khing Hnin Wai working through an aerobic routine as more than a dozen blacked-out SUVs and armored vehicles approach a roadblock behind her. Those vehicles reportedly carried troops who went on to capture Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected State Counsellor of Myanmar, as well as other members of the nations elected government.

In an ironic twist, the music playing in the background of Khings video includes lyrics that translate to,They are coming, one by one, to fight over the throne.

Initially, many online assumed this video was a fake, since the framing of the dance and the convoys appearance behind Khing seems more like an SNL skit than the serious military coup thats taking place. Khing has continued to post on social media about the video, and was contacted byThe BBCin order to confirm the validity of her video.

I wasnt dancing to mock or ridicule any organization or to be silly. I was dancing for a fitness dance competition, wrote Khing on her Facebook. As it isnt uncommon for Nay Pyi Taw to have an official convoy, I thought it was normal so I continued.

The military of Myanmar hastaken overthe country and declared a year-long state of emergency following an election that saw Suu Kyi win in a landslide. The military is demanding a repeat of the election, citing unconfirmed reports of widespread voter fraud.

Suu Kyi first garnered international attention in the 1980s as she campaigned for her nation to restore democratic rule. After organizing protests and rallies that called for free democratic elections, she was captured and held in detention from 1989 until her release in 2010. Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, which she accepted while serving a portion of her sentence under house arrest.

In 2015, Suu Kyi helped her National League for Democracy party secure victory in the nations first open elections in a quarter-century, propelling the former captive into the role of State Counsellor, a role similar to that of Prime Minister in other nations. Not all of Suu Kyis media exposure has been positive, however, as many cite Myanmars policy of treating the nations Rohingya minority group as illegal immigrants when criticizing Suu Kyi. Allegations of a military-led genocide of the Rohingya people forced Suu Kyi to answer for her nations actions at the International Court of Justice in 2019, though she denied any wrongdoing.

While there are no hard figures on how many Rohingya people have been killed, an estimated 700,000 have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh since the military crackdown began in 2017.

Now, according to Myanmars military, control of the nation has been handed over to Min Aung Hlaing, who serves as the commander and chief for the nations forces. The European Union, UK, and United Nations have all already condemned the military takeover of Myanmar, and President Joe Biden has already threatened to restore previously ended sanctions on the nation.

Protests have reportedly erupted around the nation, with many citizens honking their car horns or taking to the street to bang on pots and pans to voice their displeasure with the military take-over.

The curse of the coup is rooted in our country, and this is the reason why our country still remains poor. I feel sad and upset for our fellow citizens and for their future, Suu Kyitoldthe press.

Katie Foley

photo credit: M1kha

Today there are over 40,000 nonprofits that focus on military and veteran issues, according toCharity Watch.

Most of those registered as nonprofits are chapters of larger organizations, but some of them are single chapter projects that focus on specific needs within the veteran community.

Here at We Are the Mighty, we wanted to explore some of those advocacy groups you might not have heard ofin a bit more depth.

Community Solutions is a nonprofit devoted to ending homelessness, and one of itsprojects, Built for Zero, is committed to eradicating veteran homelessness.

A report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments HUD Exchangeestimates that there are slightly more than39,000 homeless veterans (both in shelters and without shelter). While still a significant number, that number has seen huge decreases in the last few years thanks in part to partnerships with programs like Built for Zero.

Built for Zero is an intense national program that helps communities develop and implement drastic plans to addressthe issue of veteran and chronic homelessness, and the conditions that create it. The motivation is two-fold: homelessness costs local economies more money by sustaining shelters and emergency medical care, andthat veterans whove defended this country shouldnt be homeless in it.

Homelessness is a manmade disaster, and it can be solved, Community Solutionspresident Rosanne Haggerty wrote in the nonprofits2015 Annual Report.

Built for Zero partners with communities and teaches them how to come up with ways to pool and managetheir resources, tapping into previously non-traditional homelessness-fighting resources, like businesses, churches, and even real estate companies in order to address some of the conditions that impact homeless veterans.

Employment, transportation and healthcare are just some of the issues that the project addresses when fighting homelessness.

Community Solutions works upstream and downstream of the problem by helping communities end homelessness where it happens and improve the conditions of inequality that make it more likely to happen in the future, Haggerty wrote in the report.

Rather than make homelessness just a crime-fighting task, Built for Zero makes it a community task.

The techniques Built for Zero utilize have been proven to work. Earlier this week, a community in Wisconsin announced that it had eliminated veteran homelessness. To date, Built for Zero has housed over 40,000 homeless veterans, and helped 5 communities to accomplish their goals of eradicating veteran homelessness.

In 2015 alone, Community Solutions raised over $9 million through donations and grants. That money assisted in housing over 20,000 homeless veterans in 75 communities- and it saved tax payers an estimated $150 million doing it.

Check outhow you can get involved with Built for Zero and impact veteran homelessness in your community.

Ben Weaver

One thing thats great about being in the military is you get legitimate, professional license to practice sneaking up on people. Its the ten year olds dreamand no adult has ever, in the history of maturity, grown out of it.

Try this.

Google search sneak up gif.

Got it?

Great. See you in ten hours.

(gif from rebloggy.com)

Pictured above is Creeping With Intent To Scare Someone Crapless, a perennial favorite. Note that it isnt actually the raptor costume that makes this effective. This can be perpetrated to equal or greater effect eu naturale.

(gif via reactiongifs.com)

And never underestimate the joys of the Tip-Toe-Tail-Tip-Tug, as demonstrated here. Be very, very careful who you do this to.

(gif via imagur)

And heres an example of the classic game, Whos Hunting Whom? Watch closely. Which dog do you most identify with? Your answer to this question will force irrevocable conclusions to be drawn about your personality.

For instance, Max is Dog #1, the hunter of the hunter of the hunted.

He makes it seem like hes working his core when in fact, hes lying in wait (Go90 Max Your Body screenshot)

Why is he Dog #1?

Because this is Max. Max doesnt sneak. Kids sneak. Max stalks. Stalks like a fox. His prey? Other jocks. And he doesnt wear socks. Max wears stalkings.

In this episode, Max gets down and dirty with the core-connected muscles that make it possible for you to low crawl toward your target and then lay down some suppressing fire from the prone position.

But admit it. You thought youd sneak out today without doing PT. Well, sorry, but Max has been hunting your ass since lunch break. Hes got you in his crosshairs and theres nowhere to run. Because he can take anything you cherished during childhood and turn it into a regimen for self-improvement (for example, rope swings).

Remember how you loved Spider-Man?

Oh the crawliness that is me! (gif via smosh.com)

Yeah, about that:

This is the crawliness thats about to be you. (Go90 Max Your Body screenshot)

Watch as Max ignores your pleas for mercy, in the video embedded at the top.

The U.S. Navy has suspended its search for nine missing sailors from the USS John S. McCain after looking in vain for more than 80 hours.

Despite help from other countries, the Navy was unable to find the nine sailors within a 2,100-square mile area. However, the Navy will continue to look for any sailors who may have been trapped inside the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, which collided with a Liberian merchant vessel Aug. 21 east of the Malacca Strait.

In the aftermath of the collision, divers recovered the body of another one of the sailors, Electronics Technician 3rd Class Kenneth Aaron Smith, a 22-year-old from New Jersey.

Electronics Technician 3rd Class Kenneth Aaron Smith. (Photo courtesy U.S. Navy)

Here are the nine missing sailors,according to a release from the 7th Fleet(All photos courtesy of the U.S. Navy):

(no official photo available)

The Navy is still investigating the collision, and following the crash, the commander of the 7th Fleet Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoinwas dismissed Wednesday, a rare event.Notably, Aucoin was set to retire in just a few weeks.

Rear Adm. Phil Sawyer has subsequently assumed command.

An investigation is still underway into the incident, buta Navy official told CNNthat the USS John S. McCain was hit by a steering failure and the backup steering system was not activated.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson stated Monday that theresno indication that a cyber attack knocked out the USS John S. McCains steering capabilities, but nevertheless the possibility of an attack will be investigated.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contactlicensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

United States Army

From working at McDonalds, to attending Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), to serving more than 18 years each in the U.S. Army Reserve identical twin master sergeants are mobilized together for the third time.

Master Sgt. Bryant Howard and his identical twin brother, Master Sgt. Joseph Howard, motor transport operators, 450th Movement Control Battalion (MCB), are currently deployed together to Kuwait marking the third time they have deployed together.

Bryant decided to join first.

I was in high school, (and) I was also working at McDonalds, and my mom called me lazy. he said. I figured I wasnt, so I was going to get her mad and join the Army.

For Joseph, the decision to join the Army was much easier after he found out that his brother was joining.

I tried joining the National Guard. The recruiter didnt take me seriously. Joseph said. I was going to back out, then I found out my brother was joining the Reserve, so I went ahead and joined too.

From left to right Master Sgt. Joseph Howard, S-3 (operations) noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC), 450th Movement Control Battalion (MCB), and Master Sgt. Bryant Howard, Trans-Arabian Network (TAN) NCOIC, 450th MCB, stand back to back at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Oct. 24, 2019.

(Photo by Spc. Dakota Vanidestine)

Once their decision to join was finalized, Bryant and Joseph needed to pass through Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS) before leaving for basic training.

We were still in high school, just turned 18. We were trying to get on the battle buddy system, but something happened at MEPS and Bryant wasnt able to join the same time I did. Joseph said. He had to go back four months later. Because of that, they couldnt get us to Basic (Training) together, even though we went at the same time. I went to Fort Jackson; he went to Fort Sill.

Although the buddy system was not possible for Basic Training, the brothers were reunited at Advanced Individual Training (AIT).

We did go to AIT together at Fort Leonard Wood though. It took the drill sergeants a month to realize there was twins in the unit. They threw a fit because they thought we were just one super high-speed person Joseph said.

Confusion on the brothers identities, like at AIT, has allowed them to play pranks all of their life.

Our last day of high school, we switched classes. Bryant said. We had a different style uniforms in school I had a pullover, and he had a button up shirt. Josephs teacher could tell us apart, even though she didnt know me but my teacher didnt recognize him.

After high school, the military was not the only time that Bryant and Josephs paths have crossed.

We both worked at one time at Direct TV Joseph said. Also, we both had some sort of experience in law enforcement. I became a police officer, he worked in a jail he was a corrections officer. The weird part about that was if I dropped somebody off at jail, they might run into him and think he was me. We dont necessarily try to follow each other thats just the way things happen. It really is a small world.

Even today their civilian careers have brought them not only to the same state, but the same location.

Now were both mill-techs. Joseph works in the RPAC (Reserve Personnel Action Center) and I work for a unit Bryant said.

From left to right, Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Howard, Sgt. Michael Howard, motor transport operators, 498th Transportation Company, and Sgt. 1st Class Bryant Howard, motor transport operator, 850th Transportation Company, pose for a photo as Bryant prepares to redeploy back to the U.S. at Kandahar Airfield, April. 28, 2014.

We actually work in the same building two different units. I work for the 88th Readiness Division, he works for the 383rd Military Intelligence Battalion Joseph added.

When Bryant and Joseph heard about an opportunity to deploy together with the 450th MCB, they took full advantage.

We deployed together in 2003 and 2009 to Iraq Bryant said.

He deployed to Afghanistan at the end of 2013, and I deployed there in the beginning of 2014 so we were actually at the same place Joseph added. Our older brother actually deployed with me.

Currently, Bryant is the Trans Arabian Network Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC).

I am the NCOIC over all the movement within Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, and the surrounding locations. Bryant said.

While Joseph serves as the S-3 (operations) NCOIC by taking care of the personnel, administrative, and operational aspects.

Once this deployment is complete, the brothers may finally part ways. Joseph is considering retirement from the Reserve.

Originally posted here:

Aerobics instructor catches Myanmar coup kicking off in workout video - We Are The Mighty

As a woman was practicing her routine training and broadcasting it live to her followers outside in Naypidu, the capital of Myanmar, a group of military vehicles suddenly appeared behind her on their way to Parliament.

According to a Twitter user Embed a Tweet, Who identifies himself as Angel Marads, a political scientist graduated from the University of Salamanca, the video was posted on Burmese Facebook account.

Marad even shared the video with another user who is an expert in video editing concluded that it was real, although it couldnt be supported by additional sources.

Myanmars armed forces launched a coup on Monday and arrested prominent political figures, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, dealing a major blow to the countrys important and irregular progress toward democracy, which was achieved after five decades of military rule.

The military television channel, Mayawadi, announced that the Armed Forces will rule the country for a year. He stated that this measure was necessary because the government did not take any action on the fraud allegations raised after the November elections (in which Suu Kyis ruling party won a majority of parliamentary seats at stake) and because that government convened for that election despite the coronavirus epidemic.

LS

Bacon advocate. Certified creator. Twitteraholic. Tv junkie. Beer fanatic. Internet nerd. Passionate thinker. Reader.

Follow this link:

Viral: Aerobics teacher captures "by chance" the coup in Myanmar - Sunday Vision

Apparently, the young woman was so focused on her work that she did not realize that there was a coup detat orchestrating behind her

| 02/02/2021 | ionicons-v5-c10: 23 | Francisco Trejo |

Myanmar.- In recent hours, a video emerged that quickly became viral, as a woman appears doing aerobics in Myanmar despite the fact that behind it, a strong military presence appears while the coup in that nation was taking place.

The protagonist of this video was identified as Khing Hnin Wai and posted the video on Facebook on Monday where she performs about three minutes of exercises in front of what appears to be an army truck convoy and a barricade.

The woman, who identifies herself as a physical education teacher and has a large following on Facebook, where she regularly posts exercise videos, doesnt skip a beat when military vehicles are seen buzzing behind her in the background.

Despite some questioning whether the video was legitimate, the woman previously posted several other clips of her top workouts from the same location, which she noted in a follow-up post after the original went viral.

Subsequently, fact-checkers verified the authenticity of this video and managed to position itself in the Twitter trends block, in several countries.

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The army of Myanmar announced on Monday that it had taken control of the democratically elected government and declared a state of emergency for one year.

Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Ky and other top leaders of her National League for Democracy party were detained in morning raids as part of the coup.

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Myanmar teacher teaches aerobics class with coup behind her back - Explica

A team of scientists and engineers at the University of Sydney and Microsoft Corporation have teamed up to develop a new device that has big implications for quantum computing. The single chip can operate 40 times colder than deep space, and it is capable of controlling signals for thousands of qubits, which are the fundamental building blocks of quantum computers.

The results were published in Nature Electronics.

Professor David Reilly is the one responsible for designing the chip. He has a joint position with the University of Sydney and Microsoft.

To realise the potential of quantum computing, machines will need to operate thousands if not millions of qubits, said Professor Reilly.

The worlds biggest quantum computers currently operate with just 50 or so qubits, he continued. This small scale is partly because of limits to the physical architecture that control the qubits. Our new chip puts an end to those limits.

One of the main requirements of an efficient quantum system is qubits to operate at temperatures around zero, or -273.15 degrees. The reason for this temperature requirement is so that the qubits do not lose their character of matter or light, which is required by quantum computers to perform specialized applications.

One of the reasons quantum systems often involve many wires is that they operate based on instructions, which come in the form of electrical signals sent and received.

Professor Reilly is also the Chief Investigator at the ARC Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS).

Current machines create a beautiful array of wires to control the signals; they look like an inverted gilded birds nest or chandelier. Theyre pretty, but fundamentally impractical. It means we cant scale the machines up to perform useful calculations. There is a real input-output bottleneck, said Professor Reilly.

According to Dr. Kushal Das, Microsoft Senior Hardware Engineer and joint inventor of the device, Our device does away with all those cables. With just two wires carrying information as input, it can generate control signals for thousands of qubits. This changes everything for quantum computing.

The new chip was invented at the Microsoft Quantum Laboratories, which is located at the University of Sydney. The partnership brings together the two different worlds to come up with innovative approaches to engineering challenges.

Building a quantum computer is perhaps the most challenging engineering task of the 21st century. This cant be achieved working with a small team in a university laboratory in a single country but needs the scale afforded by a global tech giant like Microsoft, Professor Reilly said.

Through our partnership with Microsoft, we havent just suggested a theoretical architecture to overcome the input-output bottleneck, weve built it.

We have demonstrated this by designing a custom silicon chip and coupling it to a quantum system, he said. Im confident to say this is the most advanced integrated circuit ever built to operate at deep cryogenic temperatures.

The newly developed chip could play a major role in advancing quantum computers, which are one of the most revolutionary technologies within our grasp. Quantum computers are extremely advanced in their abilities to solve problems that classical computers cannot, such as those within the fields of cryptography, medicine, AI, and more.

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Newly Invented Device Controls Thousands of Qubits - Unite.AI

In late 2019, Google, in partnership with NASA, said that its quantum computer performed in 200 seconds a computation that would take the worlds fastest supercomputer thousands of years. Even so, quantum computers need quantum networks to communicate, and todays internet doesnt cut it.

In hot pursuit of a quantum internet is the University of Arizona in Tucson, which the National Science Foundation selected last summer to receive a five-year, $26 million grant to establish the Center for Quantum Networks. CQNs director and principal investigator, Saikat Guha, a professor in the universitys College of Optical Sciences, will lead a team that brings together leading researchers from Howard University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Oregon, Northern Arizona University, the University of Chicago and Brigham Young University.

One of the CQN projects will involve building a test bed in Tucson a quantum network spanning six buildings and 10 laboratory sites on campus. On the East Coast, CQNs partner universities, including Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will build a Boston-area test bed to explore quantum communications in a conceptually simple network setting over metropolitan-scale distances, Guha says.

Whenever it arrives, the quantum internet will not replace the classical internet. Instead, users will see an upgrade with a new service: that of quantum communication. The quantum internet would initially be used for research and targeted applications by government, academia and industry users, including national defense, banking and finance, the cloud computing industry, and pharmaceutical research and development, Guha explains. A biomedical researcher could use the quantum internet to simulate a new synthetic molecule. Eventually, a student could open a quantum cloud computing app on a handheld device to perform computations.

The biggest impact on academia that I foresee is creating a transdisciplinary bridge and collaboration among researchers in disciplines that would not have otherwise worked together, Guha says.

Quantum internet research could spawn a new generation of IT innovation. Source: University of Arizona

Other teams across the globe are similarly exploring quantum networking. The European Quantum Internet Alliance, formed in 2018 from 12 universities in eight countries, announced a major development from the Sorbonne University team in October in achieving the scalability of a quantum internet. And in the U.S., the collaboration between Stony Brook University in New York and Brookhaven National Laboratory recently demonstrated that quantum bits (qubits) from two distant quantum computers can be entangled in a third location.

There will be new apps that use this new service for things we do not know today, Guha says. The quantum internet, when available to the average home, will spawn a whole new generation of IT innovators and app developers who will come up with new ways the powerful new service of quantum communication can be used.

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Universities are Building the Future of Quantum Internet - EdTech Magazine: Focus on Higher Education