A bigger Silicon Valley Comic Con searches for Planet B

Silicon Valley: Season 4 Episode 1: Fly To Moffet (HBO)

Environmental protection. Funding for science and education. advocating for diversity. silicon valley comic Con 2017 wasn"t just about escapism; people were looking to get to grips with this world today.

In its second year, Steve Wozniak"s local con was again a relatively small, homey place where people of all ages could share geeky interests and get closer to celebrities than at a big show like San Diego Comic-Con. The Silicon Valley theme meant things like a STEM section for kids, a NASA booth and free VR demonstrations outdoors.

There were actors ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" cast members and Grant Gustin and Tom Felton of "The Flash," among others), comics legend Trina Robbins, writers, artists, former MythBusters and so on. Reportedly, even William Shatner was talking about climate change.

You also had your comics, collectibles and a nice range of cosplay, from professional-looking teams to those people who would have been wearing unicorn onesies anyway. Last year"s big costume was Deadpool; this year there were several Negans (from "The Walking Dead") and at least three women dressed as Captain America, one in a NASA backpack. (Plus I found myself dodging "eye contact" with more than one Deathstroke. Or was it just one really creepy Deathstroke circling?)

But where the theme of SVCC 2016 was imagination and empathy -- the ways sci-fi and comic books help us see potential in the future and ourselves-- this year the recurring question was, what can people like us do right now?

Jessica c**n, linguistics consultant for last year"s "Arrival" (which, she cited a headline saying, made linguistics "almost cool"), gave a fun talk on syntax and universal grammar, while explaining that it helps children to have a connection to their indigenous language and the importance of cataloging these languages. At the end of the talk, she brought up ways that types of people you"d expect at the con could help, such as working on free, open-source language app platforms, promoting indigenous artists, donating translation rights to comics and -- the easy one -- supporting the Endangered Language Fund.

At the NASA panel on Mars, where panelists talked about glaciers, methane, the NASA research plane Sofia and possible drone exploration, the audience cheered at a mention of the March for Science. Attendees asked about the state of funding for space exploration and many questions about colonizing Mars, often seen as an escape option, aka "Planet B."

The panelists had their own takes on how to get involved; scientists encouraged those able to pursue a passion in astronomy, astrobiology or geology (as the geology booster pointed out, any astronaut who lands on Mars is guaranteed to be collecting a lot of rocks).

Closer to home -- and something you can do tonight without a degree -- is taking a look at Mars Trek, where NASA posts high-res images. "We don"t have time to look at them all," one panelist explained. (The SVCC schedule doesn"t give much information, so I can"t identify him beyond "man with fine head of hair.") He encouraged everyone to "help us out" by combing through them and reporting anything interesting.

A casual panel discussion of "women in gaming" dodged most of the collective trauma around those three words, but still raised the question of how to advocate for change in video games given the inertia of the industry systems by which they"re made.

So while some people came home with autographs and photos, I scored a list of book recommendations and websites to look up. But also the memory of seeing a guy dressed as The Flash helping a guy in a NASA polo shirt get his photo taken with a live, giant snake.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNGEBj3ErmK1AZXQGNLOP6mbzf65rQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779466923583&ei=E0v-WJjRDMLfpwetlJToBQ&url=https://www.cnet.com/news/bigger-silicon-valley-comic-con-2017-searches-for-planet-b/

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Trump still in touch with Roger Ailes

Alisyn Camerota Shares Her EXPERIENCE WITH Roger Ailes and FOX

President Trump is still in contact with ousted Fox News ceo roger ailes, according to a new report.

in an extensive Washington Post report published Sunday evening, the paper said that Trump is largely guided by cable news throughout most of the day and that he maintains a relationship with Ailes.

The report said Trump is "still in touch" with Ailes after the longtime Fox News executive left the channel last summer amid an ongoing sexual harassment controversy.

Last year, Trump had defended accusations against Ailes as "unfounded."

The Post report added, however, that Trump believes Fox"s programing is "nicer" to him now that Ailes is no longer there.

Trump is an outspoken fan of Fox, its morning show "Fox & Friends" in particular.

On the other hand, he regularly attacks CNN and MSNBC for what he has called "unfair" coverage.

Source: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-still-in-touch-with-roger-ailes/article/2621065

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NBA Playoffs Takeaways: Cavaliers use their brooms; OKC fumbles big opportunity

Cleveland Cavs vs Indiana Pacers - Full Game Highlights | Game 2 | April 17, 2017 | NBA Playoffs

The Pacers head home, the Cavs move on, the Celtics even the score, the Bulls fall apart, ISO Joe rises, Westbrook lashes out and the Clippers clip hard. Here"s what happened Sunday in the NBA playoffs ...

JOE JOHNSON. AGAIN.

This, my friends, is why your favorite team keeps that veteran on the bench.

Fans always want something shiny and new. They want the youngster to get time, they want the rookies to be on the floor, they want athleticism over experience. But Joe Johnson showed on Sunday night why you want guys like him -- guys who have been in the league for over a decade and have been in these moments before.

Johnson scored 13 points and had three assists in the final seven minutes of Game 4 while the Jazz outscored the Clippers 25-11 to even the series. Johnson was patient, in control, deliberate. When the Clippers sunk off him for a second, he drained a 3-pointer. When he was matched up with a smaller opponent, he worked them in the post. He controlled the game in a way that only veterans know how to do, and delivered time and time again.

Johnson"s career has been underrated since his days in Phoenix. He has made the playoffs every year since 2008, and been a big reason why his squad qualified each year. His defense hasn"t slipped. His passing is still smart. He has added old-man strength and knows how to create and maintain space when rabid defenses are primed on him.

There"s no way to really define these things that make a player so good in clutch time. It"s not just shot making, it"s control of the game. Johnson is one of the best at it, and you"re not going to find it in any young kid. If the playoffs are a man"s game, then Joe Johnson is a certified adult, and the one that the Jazz needed, and had on Sunday, to tie the series.

A CAVALIER APPROACH TO THE FIRST ROUND

Ho-hum, another first-round demolition job for LeBron James, another early finish to the first round and more rest for his squad. In his wake, he leaves a Pacers team wondering if they"ll still have Paul George at the start of next season, let alone next summer when he"s a free agent. This isn"t the first time a team has had to come to grips with tough situations following a loss to King James. Facing James and realizing how big the gap is between your team and what he brings to the table has a startling impact.

The Pacers hung in this series, the point differential was the closest for a sweep in decades. But the Cavaliers had control of this series the whole way, except for the first half of Game 3. Indiana just never had the level of execution to match up. It wasn"t firepower, not this time. They had weapons, and the Cavs" defense remains vulnerable . They didn"t execute.

James did. Over and over. The Cavaliers got a few contributions, Kevin Love in particular was good. But this series was about James. He averaged 33 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists on 54 percent shooting from the field and 45 percent from deep. His free-throw shooting remains bizarrely off, and yet he dominated the Pacers, including hitting the go-ahead shot in Game 4 after the Pacers came back to tie.

The Cavs haven"t fixed anything, and their effort first-round won"t be enough going forward. But it was enough to end the Pacers" season, and earn the defending champs some needed rest before the next round.

The Cavaliers will face the winner of the Raptors-Bucks series, and that next series won"t begin until Monday, May 1, giving them a full week off.

WHEN EVERYTHING GOES WRONG

Everything went wrong for the Rockets to end Game 4 vs. the Thunder. They gave up an offensive rebound off a free throw. James Harden turned the ball over up four with 28 seconds to go. And yet ... more went wrong for the Thunder. OKC found a spectacular series of ways to lose this game. The Thunder led with 5:35 to go, a situation they had been great in the entire season. But they had three turnovers, all from Russell Westbrook, in that span.

After the Thunder managed to generate a 3-pointer off that rebound, the Thunder needed to foul. Instead, they let the ball get ahead of them, to Nene, under the rim, where they fouled him on a layup. Ballgame.

It was not the best executed finish to a ballgame.

In the end, the Thunder had the only kind of game they were going to win in these playoffs -- a close, ugly game. That"s where this team lives, and they still couldn"t close. That doesn"t bode well for this series, much less the 3-1 deficit they face.

For the Rockets, everything went wrong. James Harden had a horrible game. They were never good in the clutch this season, and they shot 11 for 35 from 3-point range. Everything about this game screamed "Rockets loss," and they found a way to win. That"s a big step for a team still finding itself. The Rockets found a way to win when nothing worked the way it"s supposed to for them, and that"s what great teams do.

Oklahoma City was right there, with the game they needed, and the chances they wanted. There"s a good chance there will be there again. But if they find a way to miss every opportunity, their season will end Tuesday in Houston.

CELTIC ORDER RESTORED

Boston evened its series with Chicago with a Game 4 victory Sunday and has all the momentum. The Bulls are completely overwhelmed since the Rajon Rondo injury and don"t have an answer for the Celtics" small-ball adjustments.

If the Celtics go on to win this series, assuming Rondo is unable to return, they will have beaten the No. 8 seed 4-2. That"s not a bad end result. The fact that the Celtics were down 0-2 and looked lost will be forgotten as the playoffs move along. Is their first round a success then? Are all the things the Bulls exposed in the first two games an illusion, caused by the Celtics" emotional turmoil? Or will another team find a way to exploit the things Chicago can"t now that Rondo"s out?

The Bulls still found a way into Game 4, nearly pulling even in the third quarter before an Isaiah Thomas deluge. Their lack of adjustments has been atrocious. Here"s what"s crazy in this series, though: a game 5 victory would reverse all the trends and switch it back to the Bulls having figured out the Celtics. If the Celtics win, the first two games were nothing but a blip for the 1-seed.

This series, more than any other, shows how narratives shift with each and every game in the playoffs.

Source: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-playoffs-takeaways-cavaliers-use-their-brooms-okc-fumbles-big-opportunity/

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Alum author advocates value of "fuzzies" in Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley: Season 4: Opening Credits (HBO)

Walking among Google lovers and Facebook diehards, coding junkies and tech enthusiasts, you might not think that Silicon Valley is a welcoming place for your liberal arts major. But Scott Hartley 05 begs to differ.

In his new book, The Fuzzie and the Techie: Why the Liberals Arts Will Rule the Digital World listed as one of the best business books of the month by the Financial Times Hartley argues that Silicon Valley and the tech industry can be home to the humanities lover, or the so-called fuzzie.

Scott Hartley 05 just published a book on the role of both the techie and the fuzzie in Silicon Valley (Courtesy of Scott Hartley).

Techie and fuzzie are Stanford-speak for certain types of majors. A techie is anyone who majors in STEM fields, such as computer science or bioengineering. A fuzzie is someone who majors in the arts, humanities or social sciences.

[There is a] false narrative of Silicon Valley that everyone must be a CS major and have dropped out, Hartley said. But I want to bust the myth that you need to be a techie to work in silicon valley because you can major in anything.

Hartley graduated from Stanford in 2005 with a B.A. in Political Science. Despite his liberal arts background, he went on to work for Google and Facebook before finding a home in venture capitalism, where he helps entrepreneurs transform their ideas into reality. A big believer in the liberal arts, Hartley advocates that there is no clear distinction between a techie and fuzzie.

I think its false dichotomy because if you look around campus, were all techies and fuzzies, Hartley explained. There are elements of ethics in CS and psychology in ME classes. The title [of my book] is fuzzie and a techie its not an either or.

Hartley believes that this false fuzzy-techie dichotomy exists partly due to the financial downturnin 2008 and what he calls a triple threat. He suggested that after 2008, people were concerned about, first, the scarcity of jobs and, second, the rise of automation and artificial intelligence (AI). Third, he said, the risingcost of educationmeant more difficulty paying off student debt.

This triple threat [forces] people to think about the relevance of their degree rather than learning for learnings sake, instead of being experimental with what youre exposed to, Hartley explained.

According to Hartley, taking classes outside of your major on the opposite side of the fuzzie-techie divide can be beneficial.

If you have CS background, [there is] no reason why you cant take a great literature class or build [your] writing skills, Hartley argued. And fuzzies can definitely gain fluency in CS too.

There are many examples of crossovers between the fuzzie and techie worlds. The CEO of YouTube, Susan Wojcicki, studied history and literature at Harvard University. Pinterest founder Ben Silbermann studied political science at Yale, and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman 89 studied philosophy at Oxford after majoring in symbolic systems at Stanford.

But the fuzzie-techie crossover can go the other way as well. As Harley mentions in his press kit, Stitch Fix, an online personal styling platform for women, uses machine learning algorithms to analyze consumer clothing preferences.

These algorithms give highly informed options to human stylists who make final determinations, Hartley said. Its very much a fuzzie-techie approach of using the best in computing and human intuition.

Fashion isnt the only place where people use the fuzzie-techie approach. Software company Palantir whose CEO is incidentally a Ph.D. in neoclassical social theory takes the power of data science to surface patterns and the judgment of human analysts to interpret them, Hartley said.

[Palantir is a] mixture of data and human, and thats where fuzzies need to be, Hartley argued.

Another prominent field where fuzzies may not be expected to be in need is artificial intelligence, the domain of gadgets and robots. But Harley believes that AI, too, requires people from all sorts of backgrounds. Product development, he said, needs people with diverse perspectives deciding how tech should be applied to billions of people around the planet.

So within the tech worlds crowd of CS geeks and engineering buffs, you can find economics majors, English majors, history majors and even fine arts majors. You dont necessarily need to be a mathematical genius to fit into Silicon Valley or have advanced coding skills to build the next Snapchat, Harley said; all you need is a great idea.

You have to really find a problem that youre passionate about, Hartley advised. Then its about finding the right team, taking technology and applying it to your passion. Thats what makes a great company.

ContactAparna Verma at averma2 at stanford.edu.

Source: http://www.stanforddaily.com/2017/04/23/alum-author-talks-blending-techie-and-fuzzy-in-silicon-valley/

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Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Miss b*m b*m Suzy Cortez strips to celebrate Lionel Messi"s winner and 500th goal for ...

Real Madrid vs Barcelona 2-3 Resumen / Todos Los Goles / La Liga 2016/17

Got their Mann?Man United "agree financial deal" for Atletico Madrid and France superstar Antoine Griezmann

Footie tragedyCzech Republic star Frantisek Rajtoral found dead aged just 31 after apparent suicide

"THE GOAT"Lionel Messi confirms himself as the greatest of all time with stunning winner and EPIC celebration in El Clasico

Talk now, talk nowWhat Sergio Ramos rant at Gerard Pique meant after El Clasico red and why he pointed to the stands

Part PooperCristiano Ronaldo"s girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez axes party to toast Real Madrid"s El Clasico win and is banned from organising any more

SANCH STAYINGAlexis Sanchez WILL be at Arsenal next season - and could sign a new deal with Gunners, says Arsene Wenger

under the spotlightLionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: How the two leading stars of world football fared in El Clasico

"He"s an alien"Lionel Messi"s shirt defies GRAVITY as he lifts it up after scoring last-minute winner... and Twitter thinks he really is superhuman

TOOTH HURTSLionel Messi needs dental surgery after losing tooth in Barcelona"s El clasico win over real madrid

"beauty of football"fan in Real Madrid shirt bizarrely CELEBRATES Lionel Messi"s last kick winner for Barcelona

"You should have done it"Cristiano Ronaldo"s incredible strop as Lionel Messi bags winner for Barcelona against Madrid

"I"d prefer that"Yaya Toure bizarrely wants to play Manchester derby without REFEREE after Arsenal FA Cup defeat

MOR THE MERRIERManchester United boss Jose Mourinho contacts Real Madrid over availability of Alvaro Morata

Mour miseryMan Utd fear Paul Pogba may miss the Manchester derby as Jose Mourinho"s injury list tots up

MART MOVEAnthony Martial can fill Zlatan Ibrahimovic"s boots and fire Man United into the top four, says Ander Herrera

VAMOOOOONeymar and Rafinha celebrate Barcelona"s win over Real Madrid on social media as Lionel Messi scores dramatic late winner

Brink of relegationDave Jones sacked by Hartlepool after Jeff Stelling called for his head live on Sky Sports

Not so KeaneEverton looking for alternatives to Michael Keane after Manchester United join race for Burnley defender

up in smokePSV Eindhoven fans let off thick smoke bombs that engulf the stadium in protest during Eredivisie match against Ajax

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNG88ygHlOf8FJ04Sf93nDStUJXO1Q&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=OyP-WOjyBpCd3QGfuJaICA&url=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/3397237/real-madrid-vs-barcelona-miss-b*m-b*m-suzy-cortez-strips-n***d/

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Amber Heard wants Tesla"s Elon Musk to be her next husband, her father says

Amber Heard Speaks Up

Amber Heard has apparentlymoved on and up the prosperous partner ladder by leaving behind her tumultuous time with multi-millionaire movie star Johnny Depp as she reportedlylooks to settle down with multi-billionaire Tesla boss Elon Musk.

The 30-year-old actress and 45-year-old tech titan are both very serious about each other, her father David Heard claims,according to the Daily Mail, citing a report in the UK publication Grazia.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk listens as then-President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a meeting at Trump Tower in December. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File

She would love to get married, David Heard said, adding that his daughter and Muskare eager to settle down and have a family.

But a source close to Musk denies theres any talk of marriage between the two.

They have no plans to get married, said the source. moreover, amber is currently in australia shooting the movie Aquaman for the next six months.

The Hollywood beauty and theco-founder of PayPal and CEO of Palo Alto-based Tesla Inc. were first linked last summer after they were spotted out and about in London and Miami. Musk, who is worth an estimated $14 billion, has previously been married twice and has five sons with his first wife. Hejust got out of a second marriage to British actress Talulah Riley, 31.

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Musk supposedly became infatuated with The Rum Diary actressafter the two appeared together in the 2013 film Machete Kills, according to the Hollywood Reporter.Although the pair did not get a chance to meet on set, Musk, who had a cameo in the movie, wassaid to have emailed director Robert Rodriguez repeatedly in the hope that he could set up a meeting between himself and the actress. He pursued Heard despite the fact that she was in a relationship withDepp at the time.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp arrive at the 27th annual Palm Springs Film Festival. (Jordan Strauss/AP, File)

Heardeventually married Depp, 53, in 2015 but the marriage only lasted 15 months. She filed for divorce from him lastMay, amid allegations that she suffered abuse at the hands of the Oscar-nominated actor which Deppdenied. Theirseparation was finalized in January, with Depp agreeing to hand over $7 million. Heard stated thatshe would donate the entire proceeds from the divorce to the American Civil Liberties Union and the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

Within months of filing for divorce from Depp, Heard supposedly became smitten with the South African-born Musk. There are various reports over how serious the relationship is anywhere from somethingcasual to Heard being over the moon about Musk, the Daily Mail said.

The two were spotted in Palo Alto in February, attending aVIP screening of Al Gores new documentary, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.

Talulah Riley and Elon Musk in 2009. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

With Heard, Musks is pursuing his secondadventure into a relationship with a pretty blonde actress.

Riley became his second wife in 2010. That union was on-again, off-again until Riley filed for divorce from him last March, and their divorce became finalized in November.

As for Heard and Musk, it looks like the two might be starting an exciting new chapter together, the Daily Mail said, citinga report in the Mirror. They are already planning a lot of adventures together.

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/04/18/amber-heard-wants-teslas-elon-musk-to-be-her-next-husband-her-father-says/

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In French Election, Established Politicians Are Out

French Elections: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Centrist independent Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen lead the first round of the French presidential election. Both are poised to compete in a May runoff.

RAY SUAREZ, HOST:

We start the show in France where polls have now closed in the first round of the French presidential election. And most of the projections say the centrist Emmanuel Macron and the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen will meet in the runoff in two weeks" time. The conservative Francois Fillon conceded defeat and said he would be voting for Macron in the second round.

NPR"s Eleanor Beardsley joins us now from Paris. Eleanor, you were in Macron headquarters when the first projections came in. What was the atmosphere like?

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: That"s right, Ray. Well, let me just play a little tape here. As they usually do, every presidential election, they announce the results on the nightly news, and they do a countdown, and then the two top winners come up. And this is that happening.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Cheering).

BEARDSLEY: So Ray, people just exploded in joy. It"s not like it wasn"t expected, but now it"s real.

SUAREZ: What does this tell us about the political state of play in France to have essentially two outsiders, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, finish first and second?

BEARDSLEY: Yeah, this is a year like - a political year like no other. Establishment politicians have been swept away. And there is a growth in the far-right populism. But I think what it tells us is that people are ready to sweep away the old and try the new. They want renewal. And even though these two scores were close, openness and a pro-European feeling won out. We see European flags waving alongside the French flags here. But one thing is for sure, the old ways are gone. The established politicians are out. This is a totally new age.

SUAREZ: The projections only separate Macron and Le Pen by a few points. Is the final runoff likely to be as close as round one?

BEARDSLEY: Yes, they"re separated by two points. That"s because there were 11 candidates. The Socialist Party was split, so all the votes were scattered out. In the second round, there will be two candidates, and it"s not likely to be close at all. But this doesn"t take away the feeling that the far-right got its biggest score ever in a presidential election. And I spoke with Marie Celine Terre, who"s very happy that her candidate won, but here"s what she said.

MARIE CELINE TERRE: First, I feel sorry because I think that Marine Le Pen is too high, and it"s not a good news for our country because there is Donald Trump, there is Putin. Second, I"m very happy because I was voting for Emmanuel Macron, and it"s good news for France. It"s a new era, I hope, and a new - something new is coming.

SUAREZ: Well, yes, and if, as you say, Marine Le Pen can"t improve on her current showing very much, while Macron may be able to. The National Front has contested french elections for decades. the party has a national network in place were Marine Le Pen to become president. But let"s look at Emmanuel Macron. Has France ever had an independent president, a president without a party?

BEARDSLEY: Absolutely never. It"s astounding. He created this movement in August of last year, and he"s just - he wasn"t even known three years ago. So we have this 39-year-old former investment banker. He says he"s not left or right but progressive. He wants to make France innovative and risk-taking. This is something we"ve never seen before in France, and people are just agog.

SUAREZ: That"s NPR"s Eleanor Beardsley reporting from Paris. Good to talk to you.

BEARDSLEY: You too, Ray.

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Source: http://www.npr.org/2017/04/23/525339879/in-french-election-established-politicians-are-out

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