Gambling: How much do we spend in the UK? - BBC News
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Bam Adebayo - The Miami Heat’s Offensive MVP
Background Coming out of the University of Kentucky in the 2017 NBA Draft, most evaluations of Adebayo thought he could be a stereotypical rim rolling, screening, and defensive big man. His most valuable attribute on offense at the time was his screening, and despite showing some decent post-up game at Kentucky, he was not very versatile. His jump shot wasn’t broken but wasn’t very good. His rebounding was phenomenal at UK, averaging 14 rebounds per game per 100 possessions and 1.2 blocks and 2.7 blocks per game. His massive frame and athleticism also drove him to be projected in the mid-first round as a project Center who could contribute as a backup rotational player right away. Leading up to the Draft, Miami had 2 needs on their roster. Wings and Bigs. Miami already had Hassan Whiteside who was coming off a season where he averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds, but Miami had very little depth behind him. Even more of an issue was their Wing situation. 6’4’’ Dion Waiters was playing 66% of his minutes at SF, Justise Winslow was and still is prone to injuries, and Josh Richardson had not come into his own yet. Most mocks, though, had Miami going big by taking PF John Collins from Wake Forrest or Zach Collins from Gonzaga. Bam was usually projected to fall into the late teens to Chicago and Milwaukee. Some mocks had Bam fall to 23rd to Toronto as well. It was a shock when Bam was taken at the end of the lottery at 14 by Miami. A gamble taking arguably the rawest big man talent in the draft. In his rookie year Bam took on the mantle of backup C for Hassan Whiteside. Bam averaged 19.8 minutes per game and averaged 6.9 points and 5.5 rebounds. His range was limited with 62% of his FG attempts coming at the rim and 23% from in the painted area. He showed promise as a very good defender, where Miami’s Defensive Rating improved by 2.3 points when he was on the court. In his sophomore season, Bam’s role within the team remained the same, but his minutes increased, leading to him averaging 8.9 points and 7.3 rebounds. His finishing ability drastically improved, going from shooting 2% below the league average up to 3 feet in his rookie season to shooting almost 7% above the league average in his sophomore season. His passer rating improved from 3.6 to a 4.6, meaning he went from a poor passer to a below-average passer. After this successful campaign, Miami thought it was time to move on from Whiteside and start Bam. In the 2019 offseason, Miami traded Whiteside to Portland for Mo Harkless and Meyers Leonard. In the 2020 season, Bam broke out, averaging 16.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, and most shocking 5.1 assists per game. Miami sits with the 4th best record in the East at 41-24 and the 6th best offense in the league. This post will break down each aspect of Bam’s game, both positive and negative. The Breakdown Opportunity/Usage One very important factor in the breakout of Bam Adebayo was his increased role with the Heat. In 2020, Bam averaged 34.4 minutes per game, ranking in the 95th percentile, and 91st percentile in the percentage of his team’s minutes he takes up. He also commands 13.8% of Miami’s total possessions, which ranks in the 90th percentile. Bam also spends 17.5% of the game with the ball in his hands, ranking in the 71st percentile. He also has a True Usage on offense of 12.8% on offense, which ranks in the 91st percentile in the NBA. What these stats simply indicate is that Bam’s role and responsibility skyrocketed, with coach Spoelstra giving Bam more responsibility to participate in offensive plays as a decision-maker or scorer. He also carries a major load of the Miami Heat offense with his offensive load measuring out at 31.2. The offensive load is a stat designed by Ben Taylor that measures how much a player contributes to a single offensive possession. Adebayo ranks in the 73rd percentile in this category. Perimeter Shooting Bam is not a shooter…yet. His 3p attempt rate is 1%, meaning he doesn’t shoot 3’s. He does not have a reliable 3-point shot, but maybe in the future, he can develop one that will further enhance his value. His midrange shot is getting better mechanically, but he does not shoot enough 10-16 footers to really put a price tag on his midrange shot. Off-Ball Movement Bam is one of the best off-ball big men in the NBA, as he ranks in the 91st percentile in Movement Attack Rate (36%), which is the percentage of half-court, non-misc. And putback possessions that a player derived from off-screen possessions and cuts. He also rates in the 97th percentile in points per 75 possessions offcuts and off-screen movement at 5.1 points. A lot of this success comes from both Bam’s excellent positioning around the rim or baseline when a driver such as Jimmy Butler enters the paint, drawing attention to himself and finding a cutting Bam. Miami having two high tier perimeter playmakers in Dragic and Butler helps Bam a lot in getting into spots and freeing him up. Dragic ranks in the 89th percentile in passing out on drives and 85th percentile on Assist rate on those drives. Butler ranks in the 75th and 79th percentile in those categories, respectively. Butler being such an elite finisher (84th percentile in FGM at the rim vs. expected), draws the defense to him and can dump the ball to Bam on the cut to the rim. Despite being such a simple play, knowing where you are on the court and awareness to get into position is very important in an offense. Rim Rolling, Post Play. and finishing Bam is his team's best and only primary rim roller. 48% of Miami’s possessions that require a roll man involve Bam as that roll man, which ranks in the 99th percentile. Bam scores 0.2 points above the league average on roll plays, which places him on the 85th percentile in the League. Bam, at this early stage in his career, is almost exclusively a roll man on pick and rolls, rolling to the rim 79% of the time, while popping 9% and slipping 13% of the time. H ranks in the 68th percentile on points per 75 possessions on those rolls to the rim. Bam’s screening is also elite, ranking in the 93rd percentile in screen assists. His rim rolling ability draws a lot of attention, as he ranks in the 89th percentile in the amount of gravity he draws when he rolls per 75 possessions. This rim gravity opens up a lot for the Heat, who have some of the best spacing in the NBA, headlined by sniper Duncan Robinson. Lineups around Bam rank in the 75th percentile in spacing, and with Bam drawing attention on his rolls, he frees up this very good spacing. Being surrounded with some of the better playmaking talents in the NBA helps in getting him the ball on the rolls, hence him being so efficient at it. Lineups around Bam rank in the 67th percentile in playmaking ability. Bam posts up 19% of possessions, which ranks in the 73rd percentile. When shooting from the post, he tends to go to the rim 64% of the time, followed by hook shots 22% of the time. Bam likes to attack the post via Face-up 54% of the time while he also goes baseline 35% of the time. He also, like many other big men, prefers to work on the Left(43%) and Right(48%) blocks rather than the middle(10%). Despite these preferences in post play, Bam is not very versatile in this aspect of the game. His post style rating, basically a 0-100% rating of his post move distributions based on league averages, is in the 40th percentile. Compounding this with his points scored per 75 possessions compared to league average, which Bam ranks in the 19th percentile, you get someone who is not very adept at scoring in the post. But Bam’s bright spot here is that he ranks in the 66th percentile in potential assists form the post. This is something we will look into when we dive into Bam’s passing. Bam drives more often than most of the elite Centers in the NBA, with 7.1 Drives per 75 possession, which ranks in the 61st percentile. This is ahead of Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Karl-Anthony Towns. All of whom rank below the 60th percentile. Of these drives, 3.9 of them are unassisted, which ranks in the 79th percentile. His passout rates on these drives are low, both below the 45th percentile, but his rate of drawing fouls on these drives is in the 78th percentile. Bam’s largest improvement the last couple seasons since his rookie year has been his finishing around the rim. This season, he boasts a 66.7% adjusted FG% at the rim, which ranks on the 87th percentile and in the 71st percentile on FGM at the rim vs expectation. Another major improvement he has made this season is despite not reaching the midrange areas yet, the has extended his range to beyond 3 feet. He now shoots 45.7% from 3-10 feet, 3.5% above the league average. He developed exceptional touch on a floater that has made him much more effective in this range. This extended range allows Miami to have Bam handle the ball at the top of the key rather than having him simply post up or stand in a dunker spot. Passing Bam Adebayo is the 2nd best passing big man in the NBA. Only behind Nikola Jokic obviously. Bam’s passing evolution was not only a surprise this season, but a complete an utter shock. Nobody, not even Heat fans thought Bam would be this good at playmaking. But it happened, and now, like Denver, we are seeing how a big man with playmaking abilities can change an offense. Miami does not have a singular primary creator like the Lakers for example. They playmake via a committee of Dragic, Butler, and Bam. Bam assists on 14.6 points per 75 possessions, which ranks in the 86th percentile. His role adjusted assisted points per 75 is measured comparatively to others who bear the same role on offense Bam has in Miami. In this, he ranks in the 98th percentile, well outperforming his role on offense. His potential assists per 100 passes is in the 79th percentile at 18.8 potential assists. Bam also averages 5.0 high-value assists per 75 possessions, which ranks in the 86th percentile. A high-value assist is the sum of assists that lead to 3 pointers, free throws, and rim shots. Bam ranks in the 97th percentile in High-Value Assists over expectations based on their ability to create scoring opportunities for their teammates. This is measured relative to his passing aggressiveness and ball control. It sits at a +94.1. This makes Bam one of the most valuable playmakers in the game. He is only surpassed by the likes of Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, etc. We see Bam’s passing prowess on display in the post, where he ranks in the 66th percentile in potential assist in the post, which is more than Nikola Jokic(65th percentile). There are other factors that play into Bam’s passing impact. He is surrounded by high end offensive talent. The Miami Heat around Bam rank in the 89th percentile offensively and in the 75th percentile in spacing, which would be higher if Jimmy Butler could hit a 3-point shot. Goran Dragic ranks in the 60th percentile on Catch and Shoot 3 point% (37.4). Kelly Olynyk ranks in the 90th percentile (44.2%), and Duncan Robinson ranks in the 93rd percentile (45.7%). Bam now has these three high-value pass out options from the post or off pick & roll. Bam is also surrounded by 2 of the best off-ball players in the league. Jimmy Butler ranks in the 92nd percentile on points scored from off ball movement per 75 possessions in the NBA. He also ranks in the 90th percentile in cuts per game. He is also an elite finisher, ranking in the 84th percentile in FGM at the rim vs expectation. The Heat will run a pick and roll, where Bam rolls to the FT line, gets the ball and draws attention, and finds a cutting Butler near the basket. The same can be done with Duncan Robinson, but at the 3-point line. Bam will get the ball and a cutting Robinson runs from one corner to the other, possible having his defender help on Bam. Duncan Robinson ranks in the 85th percentile in points scored off movement per 75 possessions, 96th percentile in possessions per 75 where he scores on an off-ball screen. The Heat also run screen handoff with Duncan Robinson at the 3-point line, which is one of the most efficient plays in basketball, where Duncan Robinson ranks in the 91st percentile in Handoff points per possession. The Impact Despite all these attributes Bam has on offense, his impact on that end varies statistically. Bam’s PIPM (Player Impact Plus/Minus) is a +2.8, ranking him in the 95th percentile, but his Offensive PIPM is 0.8, which puts him in the 85th percentile. This indicates that he is a slight positive on offense. His Offensive RAPTOR is a -0.5, putting him in the 58th percentile; mediocre. His Offensive RAPTOR on/ff is a +2.5, ranking him in the 83rd percentile. His Offensive Box Plus/Minus is a +1.6, which is in the 86th percentile. Personally, I think these stats slightly understate his value, as his rolling gravity and passing are high-value assets, but his lack of ability to legitimately space the floor forces Miami to play him at Power Forward a lot and starting Kelly Olynyk at Center. Having elite off-ball talent around you helps a lot with passing. His post play needs a lot of work, as he’s not really scoring there so much as creating off passouts and dump offs. Note: If this post does well I will be doing a write up on KAT. Also, thanks for reading through my post. Bam Post to Olynyk 3 https://streamable.com/2zehl3 Bam to Robinson Hand-off 1 https://streamable.com/eb1gbh Bam/Robinson Hand-off 2 https://streamable.com/sc232i Bam/Robinson Hand-off 3 https://streamable.com/cge4th Bam PostUp to Robinson https://streamable.com/hac9nk Bam Pick and Roll to Robinson https://streamable.com/67tvc2 Bam Drive to Dragic https://streamable.com/5t132z Bam Handoff to Dragic https://streamable.com/h2eofh Bam Dragic Handoff 2 https://streamable.com/tolbwk Bam to Butler off Pick and Roll https://streamable.com/gyiv17 Bam to Butler from high post https://streamable.com/o89gv5 Bam to Butler from High Post 2 https://streamable.com/8s01pe Bam to Butler on High post 3 https://streamable.com/rbfqzd Bam Adebayo is one of the best in the league at creating off of his rim running gravity, being only 1 of 3 big men with at least 5 High-Value assists/75 and rank in the 80th+ percentile in Roll Gravity/75.
Energy was the strongest sector as WTI crude rose above $40 per barrell and oil field services and E&Ps outperformed. Financials finished well higher with banks, vehicle finance and consumer finance among the best groups. Consumer discretionary rose with apparel, auto suppliers, restaurants, hotels helping. Tech outperformed on semis strength though software a bit behind. Industrials were higher as airlines, machinery and building materials led the gainers. Industrial metals and commodity chemicals were strongest in materials. Comm services were weighed on as interactive media and telecom names lagged. Consumer staples underperformed with some softness in grocers and HPCs. Healthcare finished behind as managed care, pharma and biotech were up less than the tape. Utilities the weakest sector though still positive on the day.
Pelosi says bipartisan deal on fifth coronavirus relief package still possible:
Bloomberg noted House Speaker Pelosi said on Sunday a bipartisan deal on a fifth coronavirus relief package is still possible. While stimulus prospects seemed to erode further last week with all of the politics surrounding the SCOTUS vacancy, the White House and Democrats on Thursday agreed to revive negotiations. However, there continues to be a lot of skepticism about any near-term path to a bipartisan compromise given the big differences between Democrats and Republicans over the size and scope of the package. House Speaker Pelosi has repeatedly insisted on a bill with a price tag of at least $2.2T while White House has indicated a willingness to go up to $1.5T (and GOP Senate has only voted on a ~$300B "skinny" package). Pelosi said today that Republicans need to come back to the table with "much more money" to get the job done (Bloomberg). The big sticking points have long revolved around levels of enhanced unemployment benefits and additional state and local government aid.
Monday M&A:
Caesars Entertainment (CZR-US ) said the board of British gambling group William Hill would likely recommend its $3.9B takeover price, adding that it has finalized due diligence and expects any deal to be completed in second half of 2021. William Hill said last week it received offers from both Caesars and Apollo Management (APO-US ). Devon Energy (DVN-US ) and WPX Energy (WPX-US ), which both have holdings in the Permian Basin, agreed to combine in an all-stock deal that will create an entity with an enterprise value of ~$12B. Deal could be announced as soon as this week. Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF-US ) to acquire US operations of ArcelorMittal SA (MT-US ) for $1.4B in cash and stock to become biggest flat-rolled steel producer in North America. SINA (SINA-US ), which owns the social media platform Weibo, to be taken private by company's CEO in a $2.6B deal. MobileIron (MOBL-US ) to be acquired by Ivanti in an all-cash deal valued at $827M.
Government to ship millions of rapid tests to states to help reopen schools:
Bloomberg and others reported that President Trump will announce on Monday that the US government will ship millions of the Abbott (ABT-US ) 15-minute Covid-19 test in the coming weeks. Government will send out 6.5M rapid tests to governors this week and expects to ship 100M tests over the next several weeks, based on states' populations. States will be able to make the final decision on how to distribute the tests though the government will encourage them to use the tests to facilitate the reopening of schools. While there has been concern about a recent uptick in US coronavirus cases, it has been accompanied by an uptick in testing. According to BofA, the number of daily tests is up by a third since mid-September to a new high of 900K. In addition, there have been a number of headlines as of late about how cruise ships (The Hill) and airlines (Reuters) expect to use rapid testing to get people more comfortable with the idea of traveling.
Dallas Fed Manufacturing Survey beats estimates, highest in nearly two years:
September Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index rose six points m/m to 13.6, ahead of the consensus 8.5 and the highest print since Nov-18. It was the fourth-straight increase following the post-pandemic contraction. The company outlook index held at an above-average 14.9, while the uncertainty index was little changed at 6.7. The production index was up nine points to 22.3, the highest in two years. New orders index up five points to 14.7, growth rate of orders held steady at 133.2. Capacity utilization also up 6.6 points to 17.5. The labor market index another highlight, up 3.9 points m/m to 14.5. Report the latest in a string of positive regional manufacturing reports. September Richmond Fed Empire Manufacturing indexes both well ahead of estimates. Philadelphia Fed Index fell from August, but in line with consensus.
FDA puts partial hold on Inovio's coronavirus vaccine trial:
Inovio (INO-US ) said FDA put a partial clinical hold on its Phase 2/3 coronavirus vaccine trial. FDA raised questions about its Cellectra 2000 delivery device, which is being used in the trial, and request was not due to the occurrence of any adverse events related to an expanded Phase 1 study of the vaccine. Inovio plans to respond to the FDA in October, after which agency will have up to 30 days to notify company as to whether the trial may proceed. AstraZeneca (AZN-US ) trial still on hold in the US despite having restarted in the UK. Pfizer (PFE-US ) and Moderna (MRNA-US ) have said their respective trials could start providing some key results in late October or November, with the former reportedly on track to be first to find out if it works (Bloomberg). Near-term vaccine developments expected to be a big directional driver for the market but upside risk greater than downside risk given number of candidates in late-stage trials (Reuters).
Trump nominates Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court:
As widely expected, President Trump on Saturday nominated Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. Barrett said her philosophy is similar to that of the late staunch conservative Antonin Scalia, noting that judges are not policymakers and must apply the law as written. The WSJ said Barrett's known views fall to the right of Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, Trump's prior two Supreme Court picks, and somewhat to the left of Thomas and Alito. Her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee will start in just over two weeks on 12-Oct, setting up a final vote before the election (The Hill). Democrats do not have the votes to stop her confirmation. Multiple reports (Washington Post, Bloomberg) over the last few days have discussed how they will frame Trump's nomination of Barrett as an attack on Obamacare. Just a week after the election, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear another challenge to the ACA.
Trump has set a low debate bar for Biden:
The most important event this week will be the first presidential debate between Trump and Biden on Tuesday. Politico recently discussed how the setup into the debate is particularly interesting given the contrast between the efforts on the part of White House allies to cast Biden as an accomplished debater, and Trump's longstanding attacks targeting his mental health. The NY Times also discussed this dynamic, noting that Trump's efforts to cast Biden as addled and incoherent could backfire. It pointed out that more recently, Trump has claimed that Biden's improved debate performances during the Democratic primary were due to performance-enhancing drugs. Over the weekend, Trump reiterated calls for Biden to take a drug test before the debate. The Times article noted that Biden's campaign has been telling people that no debate outcome will fundamentally change the contours of the race. However, Democrats are concerned about how Biden may react to Trump's comments about his son, Hunter.
Trump's tax history exposed:
NY Times reported President Trump paid just $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017. Also said he paid nothing in ten of the past 15 years, because of losses. Noted Trump has reduced his tax bill with questionable measures, including a $72.9M tax refund that is the subject of an audit by the IRS. Also discussed how Trump faces mounting business losses and has more than $300M coming due within the next four years for which he is personally responsible. Paper said all of the information was provided by sources with legal access to it. While Biden campaign has already released an ad targeting Trump on tax payments, latest report unlikely to have much impact on the election given the entrenched opinions on the election (Axios) and the loyalty of Trump's base (Washington Post).
Polls show Biden with comfortable lead over Trump, but markets priced for volatility:
Washington Post said latest Washington Post-ABC News poll showed Joe Biden with a 10-point lead over President Trump among both registered and likely voters, statistically unchanged from the 12-point led in August's poll. The paper discussed how Biden remains helped by a big advantage with female voters. Separately, NY Times said a NY Times-Siena College poll showed Biden with an 8-point lead over Trump, underpinned by his wide advantage among women and Black and Latino voters and by his gains among some constituencies that strongly favored the president in 2016. WSJ latest to discuss how investors are betting one of the most volatile US elections seasons on record. Noted futures and options prices show an ambiguous election result is now the stock market's baseline expectation. Highlighted expectations for volatility to continue through December. Also discussed thoughts that if the election goes smoothly, multiple asset classes could extend this year's rally in tandem.
Uncertainty around direction of the dollar headed into election:
Though dollar index a bit weaker in Monday trading, it is still sitting near the best levels since late July. FT noted that some analysts and traders say rising expectations for election-driven volatility across financial markets has pushed investors scrambling for the safety of the dollar, even though the stresses originate in Washington. Positioning also under scrutiny, as a trader noted the overwhelming consensus among investors that the dollar will keep falling. Bloomberg also said that hedge funds have racked up the largest bets against the dollar in nearly three years, which may be setting up a short squeeze. However, Deutsche Bank strategists said a unified government could lead to a weaker dollar given larger fiscal deficits. However, they argued a divided government will likely keep the dollar trend choppier.
Trump's ban on TikTok temporarily blocked by federal judge:
Bloomberg reported President Trump's ban on TikTok was temporarily blocked. District Judge Carl Nichols granted a preliminary injunction against the ban, refusing to grant an injunction against a November deadline for a sale. ByteDance had requested the hold after the president ordered TikTok out of American app stores unless the company sold a stake in its US operations to a domestic buyer. TikTok lawyer John Hall argued ban was irrational given that ByteDance is in talks to strike a deal the president himself has demanded. In a separate case, a federal judge in Pennsylvania on Saturday rejected a request by TikTok users to halt the ban, saying the consequences of the ban wouldn't be severe enough for the users to justify an injunction temporarily blocking the order while the litigation continues.
Good morning from the UK. Happy Friday. Apologies in advance if I don't get an update out over the coming weekend. Virus update first: Infection overview - The FT (Link) is reporting that four Iranian MPs so far have tested positive whilst the same blog reports that 1,000 people have been quarantined at home in the West German town of Heinsberg and that Nigerian authorities have now confirmed the first case in sub-Saharan Africa (an area that is viewed as being least prepared for an outbreak due to poor health infrastructure). Panic buying has spread to NZ - The country has reported it first case from a passenger arriving on an Emirates flight. "Massive queues" have been reported in some supermarkets with heavy demand for water, hand sanitiser, soap and tissues. Checkout operators say it's busier than at Christmas time. (NZ Herald Link) Beijing crowd gathering restrictions - In a measure to stop the spread of the virus, Beijing authorities have introduced new rules including an average of 2 square metres per customer in supermarkets (causing queues to develop) and ten of the capital's most popular parks are now restricted to only 30% of maximum capacity (Link to Xinhua article) Global statistics - Multiple countries have now announced detections of the virus bringing the total to 50 countries; at time of writing there are 83,310 confirmed cases and 2,858 deaths. Source: WHO Dashboard: Link. Capital Economics has been providing a page tracking the virus in graphs that's available to the public (hat tip to The Guardian for highlighting it) - if you like graphs check it out here: Link. The same company also says that the Chinese economy will contract in this quarter making it their worst quarter for over two decades. Economics Stock markets dropping around the world - Many stock markets are continuing to drop sharply with tourism / aviation stocks worst hit - at time of writing IAG (the owner of British Airways and Iberia) is down 10% today on the FTSE. The South Korean stock market finished with an 8% drop this week, the Europe-wide Stoxx 600 index is down 11.4% for the week (the worst performance since 2008), in Tokyo the Nikkei closed 3.67% today, in Sydney the AX200 was down 3.2%, Shanghai is down 2.95%, Hong Kong down 2.65% and yesterday the Dow Jones in the US experienced its largest ever points drop. Crude oil is down 3% and testing the $50 a barrel mark whilst safe havens such as gold and yen are up. Source: multiple, mainly (Live Guardian blog) Supply chain specifics Honeybee supply chain collapsing - The Chinese honey industry (responsible for 25% of global output) is reporting that travel restrictions have severely impacted it because beekeepers cannot transport their hives to areas where they would normally feed. As a result, multiple bee colonies are starving to death says Naturalnews.com (Link). In addition to disrupting the honey industry, the series of travel bans are also affecting other crops, specifically those that are heavily dependent on bees for their pollination. Currently, out of the 100 crops that make up about 90 percent of the food eaten around the world, 71 rely on bees for reproduction. This figure includes about 85 percent of the fruits produced in China, such as apples, oranges and grapes. The honeybee plays an irreplaceable role in growing almonds, pears and peaches as well as strawberries in greenhouses. Major British clothing retail chain Primark looks to move away from China - The head of the finance unit at Primark owner Associated British foods has stated the company is exploring whether existing suppliers in Turkey, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam and Eastern Europe can pick up the China slack (currently China accounts for more than 40% of Primark's total imports). They state they have good inventory for several months but shortages may result if delays become prolonged but some parts cannot be made outside of China. The group expects a rise in sales of 4.2% this year. Textilegence.com Link Myanmar textile industry hit by supply chain disruption at their own ports - The Myanmar Times reports that several garment, footwear and bag factories around the city of Yangon has had to shut down or reduce operations due to raw materials shortages. The issue here is a bit different than in Vietnam; there are lots of containers of raw materials that have arrived but are not being released by authorities who are saying they may hold the containers for 2-4 weeks for inspections or quarantining. The chair of one of the industrial zones said the situation highlighted the need for Myanmar to develop the capability to produce raw materials within the country. Link American Micro-level example of supply chain issues - WBUR in Boston Massachusetts has written an article on the issues facing a maker of bike racks and other accessories. 80% of their manufacturing is done in Guangdong province in the Southeast of China. Their factory is up and running again but the company needs to catch up and is faced with not just a backlog in the factory but increased shipping costs due to high demand. The situation is worse for Vibram, a maker of footwear and rubber soles. It has three factories, one local to Boston, one in Guangzhou in China and the other in Milan which is the latest hotspot for virus infections. Their plan B to get the American and Italian factories to take on the slack from China is having to be reworked into a plan C or D. Link Port of Long Beach in California experiencing a slow down - the local newspaper LB Post reports that low cargo numbers have led to an overall slowdown at the port. As with the Los Angeles and Georgia ports yesterday, the executive director is warning it could have a major impact on the economy adding that labor levels have not been this slow for 4-5 years with rail and truck activity down 25%. They are optimistic things will get moving again once factories return to 100% and are working on being prepared for a surge. Several local regions in California have declared local energy despite no current cases. Link Kuwait bans some foreign ships - Port and Terminal.com is reporting that ships arriving our departing to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Italy, Thailand and Iraq will be banned until further notice with an exemption only for oil sector ships. Link Lloyds report drops in spot rates in container shipping markets - Lloyds List reports that faced with shrinking revenue and increased losses, spot rates are beginning to fall with the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index showing significant declines; Asia-Europe rates are down more than 12% from pre new-year levels, Transpacific rates are down 6-8%. Some operators have tried to offset these falls by blanking (cancelling) some sailings but this has led to more idles - currently 3.7% of the global container fleet is now idle, up from 3.4% last month before the Chinese New Year. The article adds that further blank sailings may double the idle fleet percentage in the coming weeks. Meanwhile in the ports, non local drivers from low risk regions will no longer have to face quarantine, the intention is which to significantly boost the amount of available truck drivers to reduce the port congestion in China. Lloyds List link Tanker charter rates down over 80% - Reuters reports (Reuters Link) that tanker charter rates are down more than 80% due to the virus impacting major economies although there are hopes for a rebound later this year. Scotland's health system checking on medical supply chain - the Herald Scotland newspaper reports an email has been sent from the procurement department of NHS Scotland to suppliers asking them to report if they are experiencing or expect to experience any issues with supplies. An anonymous supplier told the newspaper "It doesn't reassure me as it's a bit too late. If medical supplies are coming from China, then they would have left for the UK ages ago". Scotland's chief medical officer advised it's highly likely Scotland will see a positive case and cautions that major sport, music events could be banned across the country. Link Vietnam supply chain issues likely to linger for months - An article in the South China Morning Post (Link) reports gives an example of one packaging firm in Vietnam which expects a significant drop in sales in the months to come. “If companies like Flextronics and Apple cannot produce products, then they do not need packaging,” Donegan said. “February numbers at my company will be a disaster. We want to get back on track for May or June, but it is uncertain at the moment. We do not have to make lay-offs for a while, we will see where we are at the end of March, but it is all depending on factories reopening in China.” Meanwhile, Samsung's very large smartphone plant in Vietnam is estimated to be operating at between 50-80% according to insiders, basing the estimate on volumes leaving the plant. The company was responsible for 28% of all Vietnamese exports in 2017 meaning a slowdown would have a significant impact on the Vietnamese economy. A supply chain director was also quoted anonomously as expecting big MNCs (Multi National Companies) such as Samsung, Nestle and Procter and Gamble may run out of supplies by mid March. Air Asia defers plane deliveries and starts negotiations to reduce leasing costs - the budget airline has deferred 78 next generation A330neos and is aiming to return some leased planes early. Currently the airline has 24 planes. Air Asia's share price dropped to a new record low as it also posted another annual loss. Link Editorial: The problem of deeply interconnected supply chains - "Think about it: one-third of the world’s manufacturing capacity was idling for weeks and is still idling. That’s a big deal" says the financial post. The article goes on to explain that modern supply chains often involve multiple producers before the final product is produced (which won't be news to any else who works in the industry). Of more interest though is that it quotes unnamed Chinese officials as saying the work resumption rate in Guangdong and Shanghai is now back over 50%, but 65% of electronic manufacturers in the US have been told by suppliers there are shipment delays whilst the US construction industry is also likely to experience delays due to 30% of their products coming from China (personal note: already reports have emerged of delays in construction in Hong Kong and Shanghai so this seems very likely). The article also points out that it takes 2-4 weeks for shipments to sail from China to the US and this is the fourth week of the Chinese shutdown so soon we will start to see significant supply chain disruption for the North American economy. One supply chain academic at the end of the article suggests that additional backlogs could be created once things return to normal if post-coronavirus production is routed to domestic Chinese consumers first. Link Longer term impact New bill aims to protect US medical product supply chain amid coronavirus outbreak - Yahoo Finance is reporting that Republican senator Josh Hawley introduced a new bill yesterday aimed at protecting the medical product supply chain in light of the virus. It would require manufacturers to report imminent or forecast shortages of live saving of life sustaining medical devices (just as they do for pharmaceutical drugs), all the FDA to expedite reviews of essential devices that require pre-market approval and increase the FDA's authority to request information from manufacturers of essential drugs or devices including where they source from and the use of any scarce raw materials. Democrat senators are also asking for more information from the FDA and there is growing cross-party consensus that there's an excessive reliance on China for the medical supply chain. Link to Yahoo Finance article EDIT: Rubber soles not robber soles EDIT 2: 16:40 UK time - just seen a report on CNN that Corona beer is struggling with a brand launch campaign in the US due to connotations with the virus; a small survey of just over 700 drinkers found that 38% of Americans wouldn't buy Corona under any circumstances due to the virus whilst another 14% wouldn't order one in public. There's no relation between the virus and the beer brand other than the name similarity. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/28/business/corona-beer-marketing/index.html
Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James on defense - an in depth breakdown by someone who actually knows what they're talking about (Thinking Basketball guy)
The following are excerpts taken from a series by Ben Taylor, AKA Thinking Basketball on youtube. It's called "The Backpicks GOAT: The 40 Best Careers in NBA History" in which he uses a mix of statistical analysis and hundreds of hours of video review to breakdown and rank the career values of the all time greats. For easier viewing I suggest viewing the articles on his website. There are a lot of videos in between showcasing what he points out and Reddit's formatting makes pretty confusing to follow since you can't embed them directly into the post. On Michael Jordan
On defense, he entered the league as an unpolished risk-taker. His footwork wasn’t sharp and he constantly gambled for steals, like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZTiNIIMyes He loved to snipe the post, sneaking away from his man for a steal, then leaking out in transition. Only, he whiffed a lot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q5LNk9mBME His rotations to the rim were soft, often avoiding contact and rarely dissuading the shot. His on-ball defense wasn’t anything to write home about in those first few years either: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qt3yUkF8aI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDhnUGHfRYs But then, in the summer of 1987, he sprinkled fairy dust on himself and magically learned to defend. While his man D improved a bit in his third year, it leapt forward in his fourth (1988). He curtailed his habit of leaking out for steals — probably a factor in his defensive rebounding spike that year — and many of his silly gambles were replaced with highly-attentive rotations, laser-focused steal attempts and even some rim protection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZMD0NWkdNw His reactions were sharper, his reads smarter and his motor revved up higher than any other season, save for 1989. He also improved his footwork on the ball, where he would often lockdown opposing point guards. In the following play, notice how he uses his size and textbook positioning to slow down Isiah’s drive into the lane. In the second clip, he clinically hedges around a screen before his trademark swipe leads to a turnover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUd9vbu5UEw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN3BHm7QQhg But his style was still high-risk, high-reward, and his defensive error rates were on the high side, landing in the 17th percentile for the heart of his career. His highlights are impressive, but he bled value at times. For instance, in the 1991 Finals, Jordan slowed the Magic Johnson train by picking him up in the backcourt, preventing him from building a head of steam. In the low-post, Chicago constantly doubled Magic, and although Jordan did a solid job bodying him up at times, he also struck out on a number of steal attempts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS8FmxhLL0c His transition awareness could be a problem, misjudging threats in front of and behind him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1yk78a2K_s Like nearly every guard, he was too small to check bigs, limiting some of his impact when compared to more versatile defenders like Pippen or LeBron. He was never a vertical paint defender, instead swiping for steals with his ginormous mitts while his teammates challenged shots up high. Yet his cobra-like strikes obliterated plays when they worked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k7PLl1RiHI His sneak-attacks generated six of the top-200 steal percentages ever recorded, but his gambling style exposed the Bulls at times. He’s so jazzed to intercept this outlet that he bites at the mere sight of a pass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D950-xsWENg At other times, his bets led to huge payoffs — his ambush blocks could blow up possessions, and he often played the pass in odd-man fast breaks, baiting challengers like a basketball Jedi. This isn’t the layup you’re looking for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGpxmM9BQqU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgM4sruITR8 In 1990, his motor slowed from the fever pitch he had played at for two years, and his defensive involvement tapered down a bit. He idled more, resting his engines to conserve fuel. Although, on possessions where he went full throttle, he made ball-denial an art, navigating screens (a strength of his) and shutting off passing lanes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6THaAHYv5l8 During the second three-peat, he swapped athleticism for guile, relying on added strength to grind through picks or to stake valuable position. Here, he completely kills Orlando’s idea of a cross-screen into a post-up, flaming out the entire possession: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn74JvldknA He liked to linger in the lane and help against penetration, but improved awareness made this tactic more efficient — notice how he immediately locates the ball as he passes through the paint, de-prioritizing his own cover (Chris Mullin) to shut off a dribbling threat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4bvMSFfPl0 It was another risky tactic that could be exposed with better passing, but was a clear net positive from the film I tracked.
On defense, James improved in phases as well. In his first few seasons, he was prone to more breakdowns and lacked dominant defensive sequences. However, he would become one of the most impressive perimeter defenders in NBA history, gradually improving until 2008 before jumping a level in 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1EMgmfaqhQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkLp5w5bOjY He is one of the only players ever to truly guard all five positions on the court. Here’s a sampling of him guarding three All-Star players at the point, wing and center positions, demonstrating quickness, strength and technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkh4Nnz9Ie8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2r45koedTE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L_X2_sIHOI He regularly diagnosed plays and anticipated where to be, sometimes directing teammates like a linebacker calling out the action before the snap. (For instance, in the previous clip, he sends the smaller Kyrie Irving to the wing, immediately recognizing the mismatch Boston would exploit with Irving on a big man.) He often sacked pick-and-rolls like he stole the opponent’s playbook — in the next clip, notice how he slides with the action before running to Dirk’s sweet spot. Once there, his help didn’t just mitigate an advantage, it mucked up the entire possession: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj-5oAaw10g So much of defensive impact is about off-ball movement, and based on my scoring, LeBron’s instances of “good” help spiked from 2009 to 2013. He disrupted offenses in a variety of ways, jumping passing lanes, pinching down on dribblers or crisply rotating to the rim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGdSndCHCB4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lsdKAtlXGg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edXwbwfGKh0 James was able to defend like this without fouling, regularly finishing near the bottom of the league in shooting fouls committed. His size bothered so many wings, and he used his strength to fight through screens and smother opponents at times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucTCQU0FP4M He became known for signature chase-down blocks, but he also protected the rim in the half-court, erasing shots like another backline big: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz2FlmuaUug https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmgnztrMRbM LeBron’s block percentage lagged just behind the top perimeter rejectors during his best years, but his blocks were more valuable (per the clips above), frequently swatting these high-percentage looks near the hoop. According to play-by-play data, 43 percent of his blocks were within five feet of the rim, a rate eclipsed by only a few wings in the last two decades. His defense was not flawless — in his Cleveland years, he could gamble a bit too much, trading physicality for risky gambits. He also missed his share of rotations — his rates from sampling would land in the bottom quartile of the league.5 He was sometimes overly stationary off the ball, and in the following play, ends up in no man’s land while diagnosing some off-ball action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEeKR9EM4Pg He’s been an elite defensive rebounder since his teens, posting rates above the 96th percentile for perimeter players for the last 13 seasons. His defense peaked from 2009 to 2013, then his activity started to wane in 2014 as the mileage piled up on his odometer. His closeouts were always a touch reckless, but that year they became more of a problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fScIst8RdDk While his foot speed noticeably faded by 2017, a more slender James regained bounce in 2016, leading to a brief defensive renaissance; in 21 playoff games that year, LeBron set a career-high in block percentage, with rates that would fall in the 88th percentile historically among all players. In the last two seasons, he’s been prone to major defensive breakdowns as his activity has dwindled.
TL;DR (still kinda long): When he came into the league, MJ had a very high risk high reward style of playing defense, especially in his younger years. He had a habit of gambling for steals, often leading to defensive breakdowns and his footwork was unpolished, limiting his on-ball pressure. In 1987 he developed into an elite lockdown perimeter defender however and reduced his tendency to gamble for steals. He became elite at playing the passing lanes and his high motor and improved footwork were major contributors to his lock down ability. He did retain his high risk high reward style though, sometimes leading to defensive breakdowns. However it was a clear net positive and paid off very well, resulting in some of the highest steal percentages on record. He was a very good rebounder and shot blocker for his position as well, thanks to his enormous vertical. Although he was very effective on opposing guards and wings, his size at 6'6 obviously limited his ability to check bigs and overall impact. As he aged, his motor slowed however during his second threepeat years his increased strength allowed him to fight through screens better and stake valuable position. During his early Cleveland years, LeBron shared many of the same flaws that MJ did in his younger years, often gambling for steals and missing defensive rotations. He was sometimes too stationary off ball and would lose his man while diagnosing the play. However, in his later Cleveland years and Miami, he developed into one of the best, most versatile perimeter defenders since Scottie Pippen. His ability to guard multiple positions proved to have enormous impact and his basketball IQ allowed him to direct teammates and call out plays like a linebacker, often ruining opposing possessions. He developed into one of the league's best help defenders in Miami while retaining one of the lowest foul rates. He was an elite defensive rebounder the minute he came into the league and although his block percentages lagged behind the best perimeter rejectors, his blocks were more valuable on average because many of them came at the rim. In recent years his foot speed and motor have slowed down, leading to poor closeouts and decreased activity. However, his weight loss in 2016 did briefly allow him regain foot speed and the elite ability he had in his younger years. Your TL;DR was still TL: Overall, Taylor seems to be higher on LeBron's defensive prime than MJ's as he believes that LeBron's edge in help defense, rim protection, and overall versatility proved to be more impactful than MJ's lockdown perimeter ability was. Although by his estimation Jordan did manage to be a impactful defender for a few years later into his career than LeBron.
I made a comprehensive guide for those of you lurkers who suffer from extreme constipation
I now maintain an updated and more user-friendly version of this guide at /ConstipationAdvice. I've seen that many of you have chronic constipation but you do not understand why you have it, and your general practitioner doctors either don't think you have an issue or don't know what to do. I know how you feel. I know what it's like to not even feel like a human being because you can't go to the bathroom like everyone else. It is frustrating and depressing, and not something you can just go around telling people. I hope this guide helps you a ton. BECOME A DETECTIVE Keep this in mind as you proceed: your disorder is a puzzle. All you have to do is solve it. You can do it, if you have a great deal of patience, persistence, and commitment. Become your own investigator. Figure out your digestive cycle and your body's language. Listen to your body. Keep notes - I'm talking handwritten or typed notes, anything that will help you make a paper trail. Women: I have left a special note for you at the bottom regarding the additional problems you face when dealing with doctors. Please read it. WHY I MADE THIS GUIDE I'm a (mostly) healthy, physically active 31-year-old male. I have spent years seeing doctors, reading studies, accosting and interrogating medical professionals and pharmacists, calling pharmaceutical companies, and generally being an interrogator to anyone who has information that could help improve my life. This post is the aggregation of my conclusions and recommendations. In 2012 I got constipated. I grabbed an OTC laxative and was fine after that. But then the constipation happened again a few months later. It became more frequent, going from once a month to once a week, to every day. As of 2016, I was completely unable to eliminate without the use of pharmaceutical drugs. It took seven years for doctors to figure out what was wrong with me. I made this post because I want to help some of you turn my 7-year journey into a 7-month journey. Print this guide out and keep it with you. I've done all the heavy lifting for you. I did all of these myself, and now I want to help you. You will spend money on all of this, but it will change your life. You will be glad you did it. QUESTIONS FOR YOU If you suffer from severe chronic constipation, you need to answer the following questions, write them down, and bring them to your doctor:
Do you have the urge to go, but you cannot? Or do you have zero urge to go? (this is the most important question)
Do you have alternating diarrhea and constipation, or just constipation?
Do you have nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, or early satiety (getting full really early into a meal)?
Have you had this issue since childhood, or did it begin in teen years/adulthood/after a major life event (surgery? divorce? car accident? mauled by bears?)
Did you in the past or do you currently take any medications that could damage your intestines? The acne drug Accutane/Sotret/Claravis/many other names (isotretinoin) has been linked to serious conditions of the digestive tract. I am absolutely convinced that my large intestine was destroyed by this drug. Antibiotics are also a major culprit in ruining the small intestine microbiome and causing diarrhea/constipation disorders. Antidepressants can ruin the serotonin balance in the gut as well.
Did you suffer sexual abuse as a child? There is a high degree of correlation between childhood sexual abuse and adult constipation disorders. Meaning, a lot of people with chronic constipation disorders in adulthood experienced trauma when they were young. This sort of thing must be investigated by both your doctor and a therapist in coordination. Do some Googling on this topic if you believe this might be your issue.
If you have the urge but cannot go, you very likely have Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, especially if you are a woman who has had children. Other indicators of PDF are pain during sex and incontinence. Sorry, but your test is the anorectal manometry - have fun! It can sometimes be treated. Alternatively, you might have a bowel obstruction or a tumor. Your doctor must test for these. If you have zero urge to go to the bathroom, you very likely have a nerve or muscle disorder of the large intestine. These are called motility disorders. This is what I have. The most common are Slow-Transit Constipation, Chronic Idiopathic Constipation, and the dreaded Colonic Inertia. Both are extremely frustrating and difficult to treat. It is especially likely that you've got one of these conditions if you have no associated pain or any other symptoms. Your current gastroenterologist likely specializes in IBS; tell him you want a motility specialist or a neurogastroenterologist. If you have constipation sometimes and diarrhea sometimes, you very likely have IBS-C or a rare form of colitis, or a combination of issues. You may have a nervous condition. Outside chance you have Crohn's Disease. You must be checked for intestinal ulcers/irritation/inflammation, and also for food intolerances and allergies. A buddy of mine had "IBS" for many years, but then later discovered he was allergic to tuna, shellfish, pistachios, and fructose. If you have nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, or early satiety, you very likely have general gastroparesis, where your entire GI tract is sluggish. I'm sorry to say that this is very difficult to treat and a horrible disease. You must see a neurogastroenterologist, AKA a gastroenterologist who specializes in motility disorders, and you must also see a neurologist to test for autonomic neuropathy. You need a prokinetic motility drug like cisapride, domperidone, prucalopride, etc. Don't go on cisapride unless you have excellent heart health and make sure the doctor keeps an eye on your heart at all times. If you have experienced constipation since childhood, you might have Hirschsprung's disease and you need a neurogastroenterologist (a special type of gastroenterologist who studies nerves and motility) to diagnose it by taking a Full-Thickness Biopsy. This is a major surgery and you should try to exhaust all other options first. The Full-Thickness Biopsy comes with its own potentially serious side effects. If you took heavy medications that could possibly have caused your issue, first write out a timeline of events and try to remember exactly when you took the medication and when your issues started. Write down the progression of symptoms and severity. Bring it with you to your doctor appointments. Correlation does not imply causation, but you are a detective now and you need to follow every lead. You need to insist to your GP that you want to see a gastroenterologist (a specialist of your digestive tract, from your mouth to your anus). You need to advocate strongly for yourself because nobody else is going to do it for you. You have to be aggressive in your appointment-making, follow-ups, call-backs, consultations, and arguing with your insurance company about getting your specialty medications covered. You have to do it yourself. You have to fight. If you don't, you will suffer alone. Nobody is going to save you but you. It's time to get smart and tough about your condition. THE FIVE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS You are embarking on a journey to improve your health and to discover the cause of your digestive issues. Rather than force you to stumble upon these facts yourself, I'm just going to lay them out for you:
Your general practitioner (AKA "family doctor") does not know anything about your condition. He is not an expert in diseases of the large intestine. With a few exceptions, he is a gatekeeper for the experts that actually can help you. He will only refer you to these experts after you complete a few basic tests. Do them quickly.
The specialist your GP refers you to is also probably not an expert in your condition. Once you arrive at the specialist's office, ask him what his specific expertise is. It took me a year to realize that my specialist was an expert in liver cancer. Womp womp. Your disorder is likely in your large intestine, and your specialist may have spent the years of his fellowship removing nodules from the esophagus. Ask him who he knows that is an expert in motility disorders, and if he doesn't know anyone, tell him to find one and send you there.
You have to elbow your way through the medical system like a Muay Thai fighter if you want to get anywhere. Make your GP give you a referral to a specialist. Make that specialist refer you to the right specialist. Make that specialist order a bunch of tests. Then make him lay out a treatment plan for you.
Your insurance is going to act like all of your tests and prescriptions are "experimental." Experimental is insurance-code for "F*ck you, we aren't paying for this." The magic spell to banish this bullshit is the phrase "medically necessary," and only your specialist has the power to utter it. Make sure he does, on all of your prescriptions and test orders.
Your digestion operates in a cycle - just like your sleep cycle. Pay attention to it, listen to it, memorize it. Know the foods your body hates, know what throws your cycle off, know what improves it. Most importantly, once you have the cycle memorized, track its rhythm over a long period of time. After a year or two, you may notice some changes to the cycle. This information is key.
TESTS YOU PROBABLY NEED First, work your way through the following tests with your general practitioner:
Standard blood panel to check for any really wacky levels/deficiencies
Celiac blood panel to eliminate the small possibility that you have Celiac
Fecal blood test. Blood = tumors, ulcers, or perforations
Then, once you have a referral to a gastroenterologist, have him perform the following tests:
Extensive stool cultures: look for rare parasites. Small chance you have SIBO, very small chance you have SIFO, very very small chance you have a Clostridium infection that paralyzes the bowels. Ask the doctor to ensure Clostridia are tested for.
Extensive thyroid panel (sometimes hypothyroidism causes gastroparesis / slow gut transit. This one's an EASY FIX; pray you have this one). You want a full workup, not the standard one.
SITZ Marker Study: The lab will not know what this is or why you're doing it. Follow the doctor's instructions carefully. Do not take laxatives during this study (it lasts a week) because the point is to identify which specific part of your large intestine is broken (ascending, transverse, descending, rectum). If you accelerate transit by taking laxatives, you will give the lab a false result and it will screw up your treatment.
Endoscopy with small bowel aspirate and biopsy; and colonoscopy with biopsy: If you're under 30 your doctor will fight you on this. He is an obstacle. Defeat him. Also, specify that you want two types of biopsies performed: a normal biopsy of the small intestine to check for Celiac and Crohn's, and an eosinophilia biopsy to check for allergies. They won't do this unless you specifically request it. Don't screw up the pre-op prep, no matter how hungry you get. If your condition is severe enough, ask about the Full-Thickness Biopsy which tests for ganglionic nerve density / Hirschsprung's disease. This is a very serious surgery and I urge you to get a second opinion before having it done.
Anorectal manometry and MR Defacography: The anorectal manometry is critically important for people with severe constipation disorders. It really sucks to get it done, but do it.
The AM / MRD test suite is sometimes described as a "motility workup" and it can only be performed at highly specialized GI clinics. You will need to pressure your doctor to help you find one, tell him to contact your insurance company and declare these tests medically necessary. This is a battery of humiliating tests to determine if you have PFD or another nerve-related motility disorder. If you have a good sense of humor and are capable of relaxing in embarrassing situations, it'll be easy.
CT Scan with contrast: This is the one where you drink the radioactive dye and lay down inside a space ship. The point is to find tumors, divurticula, obstructions, etc. Ask the radiologist what s/he sees. Sometimes they'll slip up and tell you. They can't say "You don't have cancer" (that's for your doctor to determine) but they can say "I don't see any tumors."
Risks: Some redditors have expressed disagreement with the CT scan's former position on this list (it was higher up), citing the patient's exposure to radiation as dangerous. They argue a CT scan should only be performed after a colonoscopy. To be clear, a CT scan exposes you to much more radiation than a regular X-ray, but only about 1 in 2000 people develop cancer as a result of a CT scan, and that cancer generally occurs late in life. The reality is, the purpose of the scan is to help diagnose and treat a condition that is debilitating and potentially dangerous to you right now, and you are weighing that benefit against the potential prospect of cancer later in life. Talk with your doctor about the risks vs benefits. Ask him/her if you should do it before or after a colonoscopy. You will have a diagnosis after these tests. If none of these tests result in a clear diagnosis: see my comment here for next steps. TREATMENTS AND MEDICATIONS Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Make sure to clear each of these with your doctor before proceeding. Do not gamble with your own health. Cycle through these home remedies and request these medications from your doctor, in roughly the following order:
Do all the stupid fiber crap just so you can tell your doctor to shut up about it. Fiber does not help people with motility disorders (people like you, probably). It will not help you - unless you have a lack of the Prevotella bacterium in your gut microbiome. Increasing your roughage intake and eating a plant-based diet will increase your Prevotella count, and might alleviate your condition. If the extra fiber constipates you more, move on.
Cut out all dairy immediately for a month. Dairy is delicious and makes live worth living, but it is disgusting and terrible for you. Almond milk, almond milk ice cream, rice milk, dark chocolate...get used to it.
Cut out all gluten for a month and stick to it. Wheat is insanely hard to digest for almost all people and it causes nothing but problems for people with bowel disorders. Even if your Celiac panel comes back negative, you still might have Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, which is still being researched but quite prominent. Many people immediately see results after cutting gluten. But look out - the shit's in BBQ sauce, soy sauce, it's in the air, it's in the water, it's in your pillow, it's everywhere. It's as if the USDA has an agreement with US farmers to sprinkle wheat in literally every f*cking food product.
Try the FODMAP diet and stick to it. Eliminate all potential dietary causes of your constipation, then reintroduce them one at a time to identify the culprit. For 90% of you, diet has nothing to do with your constipation. You have a nerve disorder. As a rule of thumb, grains are all difficult to digest and should be avoided, but I've found that potato and corn are easiest, rice is a bit harder, and wheat and oat are the worst. No idea about quinoa. I strongly recommend sweet potato as a healthy filler replacement for breads. It doesn't even need butter!
Try a few high-quality probiotics. People with intestinal motility disorders have different gut microbiota than normal people, but scientists aren't sure which is the cause and which is the result. A 2015 study showed that Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Prevotella are significantly reduced in people with functional constipation disorders, and their clostridia counts were higher. (Clostridia is bad and requires antibiotics. You can determine if you have this by asking your doctor for a Clostridia-specific stool culture test.) Try Visbiome, VSL#3 if you can find/afford it. Also, try one of these. You want enteric-coated capsules that are not broken down by your stomach acid so they make it to your intestines.
Miralax (polyethylene glycol) is your first line of defense. It's a chemically inert (non-reactive) substance that you mix in water and chug. It's an osmotic laxative, meaning it does not stimulate the nerves/muscles in the intestines. It draws water into the bowel and flushes you out. It works slowly; it might take several days to work. The mainstream medical consensus is that polyethylene glycol is extraordinarily safe and can be used in babies, the elderly, etc. It can be used for years and years. However, there is some evidence now that it's bad for the environment and probably not as good for people as we thought. I'm ignorant of chemistry, but polyethylene sure sounds like plastic to me.
If you need fast relief, go to a health food store with a supplement section and buy a bottle of Magnesium Citrate powder. It must be citrate, and it must be powder. Mix 450mg (usually a heaping teaspoon) into a tall glass of water and chug it as fast as you can. Do this on an empty stomach in the morning before breakfast. If your disorder is mild, you will have to take a dump immediately. Don't get in the car to go to work for a little bit. MagCit is extremely safe and effective. Doctors prescribe it to old people for years and years with no side effects. But if you have renal disorders (kidney problems) talk to your doctor before trying this.
I find that MagCit works best for me right before bed. I have to wake up in the middle of the night to pee out all the water I chugged, but in the morning, I generally am able to empty. By the way, MagCit is also an osmotic laxative.
Cayenne pepper capsules have been used in combination with magnesium citrate with great success in some people. The pepper stimulates peristalsis in the large intestine, and the magnesium draws water to the large intestine. Combined, they propel your gut's contents along. These capsules can be obtained at any health food store with a supplement section; you can get them and magnesium citrate in the same store usually. Be warned, some people report a mild burning sensation both in their esophagus and their rectum (basically like when you eat some really spicy food and it gives you the runs). The regimen I've read that works best is a heaping teaspoon of magnesium citrate in a large glass of water, chased with 1 or 2 Cayenne capsules before bed produces a BM the next morning. Start with a low dose. When you buy the capsules, they'll have a heat rating, usually between 40,000 - 90,000 HU.
Request Lactulose from your pharmacy. It's basically a sugar that helps with bowel transit. Didn't work for me, but it works for some.
Docusate is an OTC stool softener that makes me nauseous and does nothing else, but maybe it'll work for you. MagCit beats its brains out.
Bisacodyl is your go-to OTC stimulant laxative. In the US it's known as Dulcolax, but there are off-brand boxes that are cheaper and similarly effective. Use this carefully. It can exhaust the muscles in your intestines, so while you get relief one day, the next two days you're in a refractory period where constipation starts up again. Use 10mg 2x per week if you have insanely bad constipation like me. Don't exceed twice per week. Use 5mg if you're underweight. Safe to use with MagCit. I like using it in the morning on an empty stomach and I'll skip breakfast that day. The more food you have in your digestive tract, the longer it takes. Empty stomach = 2-4 hours, full = 8-12. Long-term use is frowned upon but there's no actual evidence whatsoever that it causes a problem. Read the case studies if you don't believe me.
L-Arginine is an over-the-counter supplement available at health food stores. It is used by athletes to increase cardiovascular health, but it has a magic side effect: diarrhea! Why? Because it breaks down into nitric oxide synthase, which regulates bowel transit time, and researchers recently discovered is deficient in people with motility disorders. See this conversation for more details. Also, taking this supplement with a small amount of baking soda might increase its effect, according to some athletes who experienced intense diarrhea after doing so (they like baking soda because it reduces acid production / muscle soreness). Oral dosages vary from 2-6 grams but some people go higher. Be careful and talk to your doctor first. L-arginine is also available in suppository form and there is good evidence to believe these are safer and much more effective.
Amitiza (lubiprostone, prescription): Your doctor might prescribe this first. It's an expensive prescription osmotic laxative. It causes nausea in a lot of people and it didn't work for me, but it's a godsend for some. Try it. Take with a great deal of water. DO NOT TAKE AMITIZA WITH LINZESS, MIRALAX, OR MAGCIT BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL OSMOTICS (or behave like osmotics).
Linzess / (linaclotide, prescription, "Constella" in Canada): This is the most powerful prescription "osmotic" (it's actually a Guanylate cyclase-C agonist) in the world, and it will make your ass explode the first time you take it. It comes in strengths of 72mcg (that's micrograms), 145, and 290. I have a lot to say about this medication so read carefully. Also, if you've tried Linzess and it didn't work, please read my how to make Linzess work guide.
First of all, it has a mild prokinetic effect (meaning it stimulates your nerves) in addition to its osmotic effect. This is a good thing. Amitiza does not have this. Your digestion is on a schedule. Some of you go every day. Some every other day. Some once a week. Whatever your normal clockwork is, this medication will sometimes work and sometimes not, depending on how much fecal obstruction there is in your intestine on the day. There were times when 290mcg did absolutely nothing for me, and other times 145 made me run wide-eyed to the bathroom fifteen times in thirty minutes. You will figure out how to make this medication work after a lot of trial and error. Don't just dismiss it the moment it doesn't work. I'm of the mind that no human being should ever take 290mcg and it has got to cause long-term damage to the intestines, but all my specialists disagree. They prescribe this dose to women quite frequently for some reason. Linzess has a penchant for working very well for a few weeks, and then ceasing to work at all. Keep it refrigerated (there's a rumor that it goes bad if it gets warm, but pharmacists will not confirm this). Take it with a large glass of water and stay super hydrated all day. Water is key; it cannot work if you don't drink a ton of water with it. If this medication dehydrates you (it will), grab a bunch of those vitamin/mineral powder packets from the health food store and chug one or two a day. If you get bad headaches/migraines/weak pulse/sweats/nausea, you need to just quit the medication and talk to your doctor. Ask him to reduce the dosage. Although the prescription for Linzess is once daily, I find it works best for me taken twice per week with another medicine like Motegrity (Prucalopride) or Bisacodyl. I take it on an empty stomach in the morning and don't eat anything until it starts kicking in (which is quite fast...usually under two hours). LINZESS HAS A BLACK BOX WARNING against its usage in persons under 18. It is extremely dangerous to children. If you don't hydrate enough on a regular basis, it is also dangerous to you. It is illegal to give it to your kids. If you don't have a gallbladder, mention this to your doctor before taking Linzess. I once heard that's an issue, but I can't find a source online. DO NOT TAKE LINZESS WITH AMITIZA, MIRALAX, OR MAGCIT BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL OSMOTICS (or behave like them).
Motegrity (prucalopride, prescription): This is a brand new drug, the first in its class, and it's a 5-HT4 agonist. It works similar to some antidepressants, by targeting specific serotonin receptors in your intestines. Except Motegrity is a highly specific agonist, meaning it has a narrower range of side effects and typically won't affect your mood. This drug actually works for me, it worked immediately, it still works. Zero side effects. I take it in the morning on an empty stomach, although it can be taken without regard to food.
Most doctors in the US don't even know about Motegrity so ask them to look it up. It's brand new, meaning it's expensive. But don't worry. All of these drugs are insanely expensive. As far as I can tell it is safe to take with osmotics like Linzess but I have not confirmed this with a doctor. In my reading, I see no relevant contraindications between the two. There is a warning in the box that some people committed suicide or experienced suicidal ideation while participating in clinical studies for Motegrity. There is no statistically significant relationship established here, but the company is by law required to make this information public. Frankly, Motegrity has zero side effects on me, and I expect these people killed themselves or thought about it simply because constipation disorders are f*cking horrible and make you depressed. If you live in the UK, Europe, or Canada, your doctor will know this medication as Resolor or Resotran.
Zelnorm/Zelmac (tegaserod, prescription): This drug is similar to Motegrity (insofar that it is also a 5-HT4 agonist). It is older than Motegrity, and considered less safe because it interacts with receptors in a less specified way; there is some evidence that it interacts with cardiac receptors. In plain English this means it might be responsible for causing strokes and heart attacks in some patients. The evidence is debatable. 0.11% of people who used Zelnorm in a study experienced cardiac events, compared to 0.01% who took the placebo. That's 13 out of 11,500 people. The drug is available in the US only to women, although your doctor can order it "off-prescription" if he deems you low risk. Basically don't try this drug if you are overweight or have any notable cardiac family history.
Trulance (plecanatide, prescription): This is the main competitor of Linzess (linaclotide) and has a smaller side effect profile. It appears to work pretty well if osmotics work for you, but I haven't tried it. It also has a mild prokinetic effect (meaning it stimulates the nerves in your intestines). I assume, like Linzess, it is also dangerous to children. Give it a try.
Mestinon (pyridostigmine, prescription): This is where it gets weird. Mestinon is a drug that treats myasthenia gravis, which is a nerve disorder similar to MS. But, it can be used to treat constipation in some cases. It's an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, meaning it increases your body's levels of acetylcholine. This is a neurotransmitter that is partly responsible for telling your intestines to squeeze. Most doctors will be hesitant to put you on it, but you can give it a try if all else fails. It has a strange side effect profile and causes fainting/blood pressure drops in some people. I never tried it.
An interesting story...there is a woman who did a bit of basement chemistry and figured out that she could spike her acetylcholine levels by literally sticking a nicotine patch on her stomach below the belly button. It caused her bowels to empty after a week of constipation. She then invented Parasym Plus, a supplement that allegedly does the same thing. I bought this and I cannot figure out if it actually worked. Maybe it did a little. There are many acetylcholinesterase-inhibiting drugs on the market. Prostigmin (neostigmine) is one of them. Ask your doctor if he thinks it's a good idea. He'll say it isn't. But if all else fails...
Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate, prescription), or any related SSRI antidepressant: Antidepressants are now being used to treat constipation. Some clever fellow figured out that the majority of serotonin (the mood-regulating neurotransmitter) is manufactured in your intestine, not your brain, and that antidepressants were giving people diarrhea for some reason. I haven't tried Lexapro but it's next on my list and my doctor likes it because of its small side effect profile relative to other antidepressants. This drug has a wider side effect profile than related constipation meds like Motegrity/Tegaserod, meaning you could have mood swings or drops/spikes in energy, etc.
Despite our overwhelmingly negative public opinion about antidepressants, they are rather safe* and effective for many people. It's just that they're over-prescribed. A low dose does help some people normalize bowel function without causing mood/personality changes. *edit: A redditor linked me to this article explaining that some SSRIs can cause long-term GI problems. The comments are worth reading. As with all pharmaceutical drugs, you are weighing your current problem versus the potential side effects of its treatment. Talk to your doctor about the risks and do your own research. Talk to friends and family members who have taken SSRIs.
Erythromycin: This is an OTC (I believe) antibiotic with a very odd side effect: it speeds up gastric emptying and gut motility. Hooray! The case studies are kind of back and forth on its efficacy for constipation, but some doctors swear by it. The problem is that it's an antibiotic.
Here's the thing about antibiotics. They should not be overused or used unnecessarily. They can seriously devastate your gut flora and cause SIBO and worsen your condition. On the other hand, your condition could have already been caused by antibiotics, or by a pathogen that will killed with antibiotics. Proceed with extreme caution.
Colchicine: This is an anti-inflammatory derivative of the autumn crocus plant. In large doses it's highly toxic, but in small doses it's used to treat Gout. However, a recent study determined that it's an effective treatment for Slow Transit Constipation / Colonic Inertia (basically any constipation disorder that does not involve physical blockage like tumors, obstructions, etc). I haven't tried this but my specialist claims it is quite safe in low doses and he would be happy for me to try it out.
For those of you who are diagnosed with slow-transit constipation / colonic inertia:Here is a master list of treatments.
MY PERSONAL REGIMEN: Some of you have asked about my specific medication regimen. After several years of trial and error, I have found regimens that basically make my life normal again. Please note how the regimen evolves over time! Intestinal diseases typically are very transient and change over the years. What works for you now might not work in a while: 2012 - 2014: Senna laxative once per week 2016: Bisacodyl and Miralax twice per week 2017: Magnesium citrate 450mg each morning before breakfast 2019:
2mg Motegrity (prucalopride) daily in morning
145mcg Linzess (linaclotide) every other day in morning
450mg Magnesium citrate before bed
EXERCISE Of all the treatments I've tried, exercise is near the top on the list of effectiveness. Exercise is a conduit for getting all of that stress and potential energy out of your body and away from your guts. Get a standing desk at work (a good company will accept a doctor's note and buy one for you). Stand for half the day, intermittently. Go on jogs in the morning and walks in the evening. Get to the gym and get your knees above your waist - stairmaster, yoga, squats, etc. Just MOVE MOVE MOVE. By doing so you are stimulating the vagus nerve and increasing motility. You will literally shake the poop out. If you live an incredibly sedentary life, you will suffer much more. SURGERY FOR EXTREME CASES Please visit my updated guide at /ConstipationAdvice for new guidance on these surgeries.
For those of you diagnosed with CI, you might be considered for the TAR IA surgery, (total abdominal colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis). This is the laproscopic removal of your entire large intestine and the attachment of your small intestine to your rectum. The nice thing about this surgery is that you still get to go to the bathroom normally, except you have mostly diarrhea for the rest of your life (because your large intestine is the thing that turns diarrhea into solid stool by absorbing water).
The other option is one of many variants of the colectomy (resection or removal of the large intestine) with colostomy or ileostomy. These are both ostomies, which is the surgical creation of a hole in your lower abdomen. A medical bag is affixed to that hole, and your small intestine drains into it instead of down into your rectum. This is a much bigger life change, but from the people I've talked to, it's surprisingly not that big a deal.
If you are interested in these surgeries you will have to have a great number of conversations with many doctors and jump through a lot of hoops. A NOTE FOR WOMEN AND TEENAGERS The feedback I get from most women is that their (male) doctors are extremely dismissive and incredulous about the woman's constipation issues. Doctors are going to act like you are crazy and hormonal. They're going to tell you to just eat some fiber and take some miralax and bugger off. You have to be strong, confident, and knowledgeable of your situation. Do not take no for an answer. Inform your doctor that you are past the standard constipation treatments and this is an ongoing problem that reduces your quality of life and warrants the attention of a specialist. It helps if you appear to know what you are talking about. Learn about your digestive anatomy and understand the difference between your small and large intestine. Understand the constituent parts of the large intestine (ascending, descending, sigmoid, transverse, rectum, etc). This will help you communicate to your doctor more efficiently and it will help you better understand his/her findings. If you show your doctor you've done your homework, it is very likely he/she will take you more seriously. Everything I just said applies to teenagers. The additional problem facing you is that you have an extra gatekeeper: your parents, and the fact that you rely on their insurance. You need to have a level-headed conversation with them about your situation, however embarrassing that may be, and convince them that they need to be advocates for you, not obstacles to you. Getting them on your side now will benefit you greatly when the doctor questions the seriousness of your complaint. A FEW FINAL NOTES
Read. You aren't going to effectively communicate or convince your doctor of anything unless you have some introductory knowledge of your body. Learn about your digestive anatomy and understand the difference between your small and large intestine. Simply knowing this information will help you come up with questions about what could be causing your issue.
Save yourself the remarkable headache and get physical and digital copies of the results of every single test you have performed, even simple blood tests. When you inevitably get transferred to a different specialist, having this stack of files will make your life so much easier.
Your insurance company is going to fight you on some of these medications. Tell your doctor to tell your insurance it is an urgent medical necessity that they cover this medication. They will fold.
DO NOT GIVE UP. Write down your next steps. Follow up on calls, appointments, etc. I keep lists of all my medical to-do's and I cross them off line-by-line. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment and control over this whole situation.
Relax and get your mind off your condition. This is hard. But there is absolutely a psychological component to your condition. For some people, it's entirely psychological (this is called Chronic Idiopathic Constipation or Functional Constipation). People who suffered sexual abuse in childhood often develop constipation disorders in adulthood. Google this and investigate it with your doctor!
I go on long nature walks with my headphones. This is how I unwind. Some people do Ju Jitsu. Some people do music. Spend time with family and engage in your hobbies. This will absolutely help, especially if your condition is idiopathic in nature.
Intractable constipation is often the result of extreme stress. Have a serious brainstorm about whether you need to quit your high-stress job. Are you in an abusive relationship? GET THE FUCK OUT OF IT. Can you afford a week-long spiritual retreat where you take a vow of silence and eat a vegetarian diet and sit in a garden with a pen and paper? DO IT. Now is the time to try all the weird stuff.
Cry whenever you have to; don't bottle anything up.
Talk to other sufferers about it. Reach out and get involved in a community. Support is everything.
Your enemy has a name. You very likely have a motility disorder. It can be caused by an underlying nerve disorder, blood vessel disorder, mechanical muscle failure, neurotransmitter imbalance, hormone imbalance, or bacterial imbalance. Once you get your diagnosis, you will not feel so confused and lost about how to treat it.
[Community] GamerGate 2018: Infinity War (We Survived the Snapture)
FOUR YEARS of magic! 2018 was an extraordinary year, as /KotakuInAction celebrated...
100,000 subscribers!
But this was also a year fraught with peril! For while GamerGate celebrated yet another triumph, a villain tried to wipe us from existence with a snap of his fingers. And he did. But to the shock and horror of many subreddits and gaming/clickbait news media, the unthinkable happened: WE SURVIVED. Because we are everywhere and everything.
GamerGate 2018: Infinity War (We Survived the Snapture)
And we laugh, because not only were we spared by The Snapture, but it instead claimed a VAST number of our most belligerent detractors, companies, franchises, and e-celebs... including the snapper himself! So let us now look back on yesteryear and appreciate those still with us, and salute all those in GamerGate rogue's gallery who crashed and burned, or faded to nothingness in the year 2018. Pointing, laughing, and pressing F may now commence.
SNAPPED!
PEOPLE:
David-me (creator of /KotakuInAction). The snapper himself! David-me became a full-fledged #resistance fighter of the US presidency, and covertly announced on /Drama his intention to shut down this subreddit as retribution for electing LiterallyHitler. But after snapping his fingers and wiping out KiA, the admins stepped in and (thanks to this being one of the most moderated subreddits on reddit.com) restored everything back to normal. A tumultuous week followed, filled with fiery debate and heroic cat bites... but in the end, KiA stood strong and David-me was dethroned and departed. [Archive] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link]
John "Amir0x" Goldberg (NeoGaf, anti-GG activist ) is tried, convicted, and sentenced to 2 years in prison after pleading Guilty to multiple counts of possessing child pornography. [Link] [Link] [Album]
Matt Hickey (Gizmodo, anti-GG activist ) is tried, convicted, and sentenced to 3 years in prison after pleading Guilty to multiple rape charges. “GamerGate is a bunch of women-hating future rapists!” - Matt [Link] [Link] [Album]
Jessica Price (ArenaNet, anti-GG activist) and fellow video game writer Peter Fries are fired for attacking a polite and respectful streamer on Twitter. In Jessica's case, this follows a prolonged history of personal attacks and toxic hostility on social media, and the second time she's been fired for it. [Link] [Link]
Daniel Z. Klein (Riot, Anti-GG activist) is fired after a Twitter meltdown where he viciously attacked and insulted the LoL community, gamers, and... pretty much anyone not celebrating the new PAX "No Men Allowed" policy. [Link] [Link] [Link]
Laura Hudson (The Verge, anti-GG activist) is fired along with her rabidly anti-white recruiter Devon Maloney from stalwart anti-GamerGate tech blog The Verge. Maybe she can start up Offworld again with Leigh Alexander? [Link] [Link] [Link]
Joss Whedon (Director, anti-GG activist) lost his feminist hero status and his prized Batgirl film project (which he spent years getting off the ground) following revelations he cheated with numerous "needy, aggressive" young actresses from his films and TV shows... I mean, he stepped aside to let a woman take charge because he's such a good feminist. [Link] [Album] [Album]
James Portnow (Extra Credits, anti-GG activist) gets his own #MeToo treatment and community backlash after a nasty breakup with an employee, only to be hit by even more accusations of abuse and harassment by several more Extra Credits employees. [Album] [Link] [Link]
Andrew Dobson (Inflation porn artist, anti-GG activist) has his 7yr old Twitter account permanently banned. Who knew evading your previous ban, calling for violence and repeatedly posting death threats had consequences? [Archive] [Album]
Will Wheaton (anti-GG activist) abandoned Twitter, which he deems not safe enough for vulnerable users like himself, and moved to the Mastadon Fediverse... where a week later he delivers a tearful, masturbatory farewell after it's sensitive & woke community decreed he's transphobic and demands his exile to ensure their safety. [Link] [Album]
Graham Linehan (IT Crowd, anti-GG activist) is issued an official warning by the UK police under the 1997 Protection from Harassment Act, and issued a "Prevention of Harassment" notice, warning him to cease all communication with his latest target or face the frightfully dreadful ire of British justice. [Link] [Album] [Link]
Philip "Filip" Miucin (IGN) is fired, has all his content scrubbed, and becomes an Internet pariah after a Youtuber accuses him of almost word-for-word plagiarism of their review. Then the internet uncovered another plagiarized review. And another. And another, and another, and... [Link] [Link] [Link]
Mack "John Cheese" Leighty (Cracked) is fired as Editor-In-Chief of The Modern Rogue and has all his articles on Cracked purged after being exposed for sexually preying on numerous young women at Cracked. John confesses, insists he's gone to therapy, and issues a public apology for being caught. [Link] [Album]
Jason Schreier (Kotaku) wins an award and uses the opportunity to taunt GG. So naturally Zoe Quinn jumps in and attacks him for not giving her favorable-enough coverage years ago. An enormous Twitter slapfight erupts with many familiar faces making cameo appearances, and Jason issues grovelling public & private apologies... which are rejected by everyone, leaving Jason a broken, mewling mess. [Link] [Link]
Raju Narisetti (Gizmodo Media Group CEO) is forced out by parent company Univision following a failed IPO, and "deep cuts" are advised for the proud owners of Gizmodo, Jezebel, Kotaku, etc. Following the departure of 40+ staffers, a sale of the titles is now being "explored". [Link] [Archive] [Link]
Brian Krzanich (Intel CEO), who famously reversed his company's initial response to GG Operation: Disrespectful Nod and instead partnered Intel with Feminist Frequency, resigns in disgrace after revelations he violated his company's Code of Conduct by sleeping with a subordinate employee. [Link] [Archive]
Patrick Söderlund (DICE CEO) resigns following disastrously low sales of Battlefield V after literally telling gamers not to buy the game, and calling anyone who questions the historical accuracy of pink-haired cyborg women in WW2 "uneducated". [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link]
Cliff Bleszinski (Epic Games) shuts down his game studio (to the surprise of his employees on Twitter), and denies refunds. Who knew that constantly attacking gamers would not help you sell video games? [Link] [Album]
David Jaffe (God of War) pauses on calling gamers "entitled manbabies" long enough to announce massive layoffs, and the shutdown of yet another studio. Gamers... have to be your audience? [Archive] [Link]
Talia Lavin (New Yorker Magazine Fact Checker), who claimed GamerGate was "responsible for 2 mass murders", is universally condemned and promptly resigns for inciting a Twitter mob by claiming that a para-Olympian/ICE forensic analyst sported a Nazi tattoo... which was actually a Titan2 symbol of his platoon in Afghanistan. [Link] [Link]
Matt "Fantastic" Loter (FemFreq disciple) has been identified as the man who assaulted Youtuber Jeremy Hambly at Gen Con 2018 in Anita Sarkeesian's name, and while the wheels of the lawsuit filed by The Quartering turns at a typical snail's pace, the dissociation by Quinnipiac University was swift, removing all mentions of Matt Loter and the course he was going to teach from their website. [Link] [Link] [Link]
Zoe Quinn (Goddess Mode) fails to win at the Hugo Awards for Best Science FICTION and FANTASY Works for her novel Crash Override (hmm...), and insists she's now broke... while on holiday in Japan. Backers of her latest Kickstarter are left wondering what happened to the 85K she raised to develop a Chuck Tingle game that Chuck himself insists he has nothing to do with. [Link] [Album]
Robbie Rodriguez (co-creator of Goddess Mode) all but nukes his Twitter account after sending unsolicited graphic photos of his anus to comic artist Ethan Van Sciver. The obscene photos are quickly deleted, and Robbie deletes almost all his tweets, and relabels his Twitter a "parody account". [Link] [Link]
Heather Antos (Marvel Comics) quits as editor of social justice titles at Marvel Comics to go run a gambling website following multiple comic cancellations. New Marvel E.I.C announces "fresh start." [Link] [Link]
Chuck Wendig (Star Wars author) is fired by Disney and has his books immediately cancelled mid-run for one too many obscene, vitriolic Twitter rants/meltdowns championing social justice and unleashing torrents of obscenities at Trump, GamerGate, white males, Star Wars fans, comic fans, cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers... wait, what? [Album] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Archive]
Claire McCaskill (US Senator-D) loses her seat in the 2018 midterm elections. Was it demanding resignations for the crime of meeting with Russians, while lying about her own meeting? Or the video telling men they need to "shut the hell up" about a range of things from Star Wars to "ethics in gaming journalism"? Who knows? [Youtube] [Archive]
Brianna Wu (Revolution 60, Anti-GG activist) fails to win a seat in congress. Whether it was due to the dire warnings of weaponized moon rocks or the support from GamerGate amidst a spurious #MeToo accusation (you're welcome, Brianna!), we'll never know... [Archive] [Link] [Album]
NOTEWORTHY MENTIONS:
James Gunn (Marvel Studios) resigns after becoming king o' the world with his celebrated Guardians of the Galaxy franchise after hundreds of old child pornography jokes resurface. And the thousands of redditors who laughed and jeered at KiA when Milo Yiannopoulos resigned after a years-old offensive joke was dug up to discredit him suddenly start wailing "Can we PLEASE stop firing people for horrible things they said years ago?!" Should James ever be rehired, will his conservative counterparts be also? Place your bets. [Album] [Album] [Archive] [Link]
Ruby Rose & Scarlett Johansson are victims of an SJW harassment campaign backlash as Ruby Rose (a genderfluid lesbian) quits Twitter after being hounded for not being " gay enough" and "Jewish enough" to play the gay, Jewish Batwoman, while Scarlett is forced to quit a trans film role because in 2018 actors are only allowed to pretend to be what they already are (unless the role is a redhead). [Link] [Link] [Link] [Link]
/StarWarsHead Mod and creator of the subreddit issues a proclamation decreeing that although he loves democracy, and is "the last person to want to censor anything", he is imposing a "no negative posts" rule on the subreddit. All criticism of the new films is hereby banned. The formation of a rebellion was swift, and within mere days he is thrownvoluntarily and amicably hurls himself down a reactor shaft. [Image] [Image]
Cathy Newman (Channel 4 News) became the laughing stock of the entire Internet following her disastrously cringey interview with Jordan Peterson. Cue the claims of "GamerGate"-style harassment and abuse... which she was caught laughing at and enjoying (before deleting the evidence). [Youtube] [Youtube] [Archive] [Link]
ENTERTAINMENT:
SOLO: A Star Wars Story (2018 film) bombs so badly (despite making history!) that it effectively kills the entire Star Wars standalone film franchise, with many attributing the film's loss to irate audiences unhappy with The Last Jedi, and boycotting Solo is the only way to acquire a refund and exercise their power as consumers. [Link] [Youtube] [Youtube]
Doom (2019 film), with it's brave diverse cast and brave diverse female DoomGuy and brave open-mouthed director championing diversity, bravely announced that the movie will instead be released straight-to-video. [Album] [Link] [Link]
Star Trek: Discovery continued it's crash and burn into the atmosphere as it loses it's lead showrunners yet again... this time for chronic "leadership & operational issues", financial mismanagement, "increasingly abusive" treatment of staff, and threatening them to keep quiet to prevent filing complaints to HR. [Archive] [Archive]
Diablo Immortal has a disastrous announcement event at BlizzCon, blindsiding Blizzard staff who received boos for telling the PC enthusiast audience that the much anticipated Diablo game will be a smartphone game, with no plans to bring it to PC. What was immortalized into a viral meme was the host's utterly bewildered response: "Don't you people have phones?!", as were deleted comments from the Youtube Trailer. [Link] [Link] [MP4] [Link] [Youtube]
Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, darling of the gaming press and the ultimate anti-GG game we were forbidden to buy because it's "the antithesis" of everything GamerGate stands for... is a commercial disaster, leaving the heartbroken developers "scared" as they plan to leave San Francisco. [Link] [Link]
Border Town (DC Comics) is abruptly cancelled from DC's Vertigo lineup (where it featured alongside Zoe Quinn's Goddess Mode) after creator Eric Esquivel's past history of sexual abuse is made public. Before nuking his social media, he blamed it on The Patriarchy infusing him with toxic masculinity. [Link] [Link] [Link]
Youtube Rewind (2018) officially becomes the most disliked video in Youtube history. Rather than showcasing the stars and events of Youtube in 2018, they instead opted to showcase diversity by producing the most commercialized Rewind retrospective yet, packed with socio-political agendas, Twitch stars, Late Night TV hosts, and so much brave diversity. [Link] [Image]
COMPANIES:
BullyHunters peaks and vanishes within days as the lauded female-empowered anti-bullying initiative loses all credibility (and sponsorship) when it's revealed the "live" stream was faked, the spokeswoman was an obscenity-hurling bully, the cited statistics were falsified, and the whole thing was an ad to sell headsets. [Link] [Link] [Link]
Crash Override Network & Feminist Frequency are both quietly and surreptitiously dropped from the much lauded Twitter Trusted Safety Resource partner list and notorious Trust and Safety Council. [Link] [Link] [Archive]
Magic Mirror Comics, demonstrating how woke they are by condemning Richard C. Meyer, banning any customer interested in his comic from their store, and threatening violence against anyone who has a problem with that... shuts down due to lack of business. [Link] [Link]
Kotaku issues a grovelling apology for launching a harassment campaign against a poor woman who turned down a marriage proposal hidden as an easter egg in the Spider-Man PS4 game, after Kotaku falsely claimed she left him for his brother. [Archive] [Link]
CrunchyRoll is dumped by Funimation, and loses streaming rights to almost 300 anime franchises (and associated series). This bookends a disastrous year after coming under fire for censoring a game advertised as uncensored, unstable servers, and accusations of misappropriating subscriber funds to produce feminist diversity cartoons. [Link] [Youtube] [Link] [Youtube]
Google+ announces it's shutting down. While it's failure may be attributed to the recent massive data breach (and not it's rabid anti-GG Chief Architect), we would be remiss if we didn't give a smug salute to 4chan founder Christopher "Moot" Poole; one-time champion of free speech (before getting seduced by Gawker, subscribing to Feminist Frequency, and banning Gamergate threads) who left 4chan to save Google+. [Link] [Link] [Album]
SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center) is ordered to apologize and pay Islamic reformist Maajid Nawaz $3.4m for naming him as an "anti-Muslim extremist" for his activities opposing jihadism and encouraging his fellow believers to embrace western values. Also apologizes to Tim Pool & co. for labelling them white supremacists, fascists, anti-semites and/or Russia conspirators. [Link] [Archive]
Tumblr Fandoms recoil in horror as Tumblr implements a "no porn" rule, shutting down all adult content on their platform. The LGBT community despair as what was considered the most queer-friendly social media board starts banning them en masse for anything and everything, prompting an exodus not seen since 4chan banned Gamergate. [Link] [Archive] (nsfw)
COMMUNITIES:
#SaveGawker (Kickstarter campaign) tried and failed, barely raising 15% of the funds necessary needed for a collective of former employees to "save" it at auction, with the property ultimately falling into ownership by a former Gawker hitpiece target. [Link] [Image]
AntiFa terrorists violently storm a free speech forum featuring Sargon. After standing his ground, they're sent running and Sargon claims their flag and holds it up in triumph as a trophy. [Link] [Link] [Image]
The LGBTQ+ Society (of Goldsmiths University) is denounced, disassociated and disbanded from the campus and student union for insisting that communist gulags have been historically misunderstood. In fact, those sent there learned new skills via "classes, book clubs, newspaper editorial teams, sports, theatre & performance groups", and modern-day gulags aren't an idea we should discount so quickly, so bigots (like you) can be eradicated... through re-education. [Archive] [Link]
Twitch Thots (to use the Internet vernacular) cried out in their hundreds as numerous social media accounts shut down after those wacky rascals on /pol/ started reporting Snapchat Premium (ie. porn for sale) users to the IRS for tax evasion. It was extraordinary, watching those who for years smugly proclaimed "Sex work is real work, Trump's gonna pay his fair share lol!" flip overnight to wailing "Why am I being audited? It wasn't work income; they were gifts! Taxation is theft!" [Link] [Youtube]
IN MEMORIUM
TotalBiscuit passed away in 2018. While many felt a personal sting after he publically turned on KotakuInAction (and pretty much everybody) in his final months, we fondly remember the years he proudly stood by GamerGate. Be to his virtues very kindBe to his faults a little blind [Link] [Link] [Mp4]
Gator (1976) passed away in 2018. All he wanted was to be left alone to enjoy his hobbies at home with his daughter, but fate had other ideas. And so Gator was forced to go out and bring down the corrupt and crooked people rigging the industry who just wouldn't let him and his daughter live in peace, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. We salute you, Gator. May you be immortalized in the KiA sidebar. [Image] [Youtube] [Link]
SPARED:
/KotakuInAction celebrates 100,000 subscribers! For a consumer movement pronounced dead in 2014, we continue to grow in size and influence. From getting US presidents elected to turning the whole world against the mainstream news media to weaponizing eggplant emojis, GamerGate continues to be responsible for literally everything. [Link]
OneAngryGamer is a regular target for DDOS attacks, but this year the hackers succeeded in bringing the gaming news site down... and corrupting the backups! For the better part of a month, OAG was offline with no ETA on it's return (if ever). But surprise; it's back, and once again making feminists quake at the sight of it's sidebar ads for anime tiddy statues. Just remember, kiddies: Archive Everything. TWICE. [Link] [Link] [Link]
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 becomes the best selling game in the franchise, shipping over a million units across the world. All despite dire warnings by gaming news and woke forums who insisted the game was "too Japanese", and the shapely, feminine girls had visible lumps on their chest that don't belong in western releases. [Link] [Link] [Album]
Kingdom Come: Deliverence overcomes industry-wide blacklisting, hit pieces, and agenda-driven reviews, and succeeds in achieving every SJW game dev's ultimate dream: record-breaking sales, widespread praise and acclaim, and most importantly... being used as a teaching tool in schools! [Album] [Link] [Link] [Link] [Archive]
Hulk Hogan, GamerGate's iconic tag-team partner in body-slamming Gawker into bankruptcy and oblivion is once more reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame. #BringBackBullying: FAILED. #BringBackHulkamania: SUCCESS. [Link] [Album] [Youtube]
Soe Gschwind-Penski (eSports announcer) uses International Women's Day to thank all the men in gaming who treated her with respect and as an equal, whom offered her nothing but support, assistance, and positive reinforcement in a triumph for female equality in gaming. She promptly received hundreds of hate mail, hot takes, and death threats from feminists for her "internalized misogyny"... yet she neither retreated nor apologized, and stood strong for true equality in gaming. [Link] [Archive]
#WeStand4Flood. Five "Mean Girls" falsely accused a boy at school of sexual assault in 2017 because they "just didn't like him". He was shackled, charged, and despite desperately pleading Not Guilty sentenced to juvenile detention. In 2018, the Mean Girls confessed and he returned to school, whereupon he was bullied and terrorized as a sex offender while the girls received no punishment. But good news, everyone! The family is suing the girl's parents, the school, and the County DA who didn't dismiss the case for months after the confessions. Thanks to overwhelming local outcry and global exposure, justice is finally being done! [Link] [Album]
Freedom X won a $122,000 lawsuit against University of Washington, who can no longer charge ludicrously expensive "security" fees when conservative speakers wished to hold speaking events. The university agreed to end charging security fees entirely, ensuring conservative speakers are no longer "dissuaded" from appearing. [Link] [Link]
ComicsGate continues to surpass all obstacles, from breaking the GoFundme goal and raising $400,000, to raising $120,000 to take vitriolic writer Mark Waid to court for tortious interference. The wheels of justice turn slow as ever, but we've stockpiled popcorn and are ready to watch the show. [Link] [Link] [Link]
BBC Comedy proved that the world still has a licence to laugh at Social Justice Warriors with the hilarious skit "When You So Woke, You Asleep." With over 20,000 retweets and nearly 40,000 Likes, legendary entertainer Tracey Ullman perfectly skewers the modern affliction of "wokeness" to the delight of all. [Link] [Link] [Link]
WHAT A YEAR! Sorry for not posting this earlier, but the truth is... I've been busy playing vidya! Well, that and we're barely into 2019 and it seems every week day there is a MAJOR HAPPENING on reddit:
Government shutdowns, while Buzzfeed tricks the world with fake "We got him!" stories...
...TWICE.
The Covington School saga inciting a global news media/Hollywood witch hunt over weaponized smirks...
Gillette getting everyone in a frothy lather over masculinity...
GG's most notorious clickbait media adversaries (Buzzfeed, HuffPo, Vice, etc) got scythed, announcing thousands of layoffs as the clickbait bubble finally bursts to wails of despair as #LearnToCode becomes the latest meme banned for domestic terrorism...
And that was only the first month! And it's only February and the media is copping yet another shellacking over the way journalists and celebrities climbed over each other to condemn their ideological enemies over the Jussie Smollett attack... which turned out to be an orchestrated hoax. Yikes! The planet keeps spinning on it's axis and never slowing down!
But I managed to pause the rollercoaster of life just long enough to type this all up, so I hope you enjoyed this little retrospective! I have no doubt that after clicking the SUBMIT button, there will be some other major breaking story (or I realize I forgot to include some major 2018 event, or missed some dumb typo). But whatever it may be... it's all GamerGate's fault. Because GG continues to be the runaway train that just won't stop; the bogeyman responsible for everything, everywhere! 2018's major pop culture event was The Infinity War, and we at /KotakuInAction all watched awestruck as so, so many anti-GG preachers and SocJus activists got utterly snapped.And we're still here!
So HAPPY NEW YEAR, a fond farewell to all those taken by The Snapture, and say a prayer alongside the girl with the Infinity Ribbon in her hair for an amazing 2019!
We look at the latest Global Gambling Statistics: Comparing revenue, popular games & personal data to discover the world's best Gambling nations in 2021. The statistic displays the results of a survey on the proportion of people within different age groups who gamble online on a monthly basis in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2016 to 2018. UK gambling industry now takes £14bn a year from punters – report This article is more than 3 years old. ... Thu 31 Aug 2017 13.18 EDT Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 12.43 EST. Please see the Industr y Statistics excel file for more details 6 Gambling industry GGY (£m) 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 T ot a l i n d u s t r y G G Y (£ m) G a m b l i n g t y p e t r e n d (£ m) Apr 2014 - Mar 2015 Apr 2015 - Mar 2016 Apr 2016 - Mar 2017 Apr 2017 - Mar 2018R Apr ... K gambling industry statistics are published twice a year (in May and November) and provide the latest information on each sector regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. The latest statistics, which include online gambling services offered to customers in Britain, cover the period between October 2017 – September 2018. Published on August 7, 2017 August 8, 2017 By FinSMEs 2016 was a record growth year in the UK gambling industry. In this post, we focus on the performance of its main three critical aspects ... Figures about the gross gaming yield reveal the development of the gambling industry in the UK. According to statistics published on the official site of the UKGC, the total gross gambling yield (GGY) of the gambling industry in Great Britain for the period from October 2018 to September 2019 (excluding the Covid-19 period) is £14.3 billion. Online Gambling Statistics. Gambling has gone online just like every possible aspect of our lives lately. Coronavirus forced all industries to adapt to new circumstances, and here’s how the gambling industry dealt with it. 12. Only 3% of the US population gambles online. (Casino.org) This is significantly less than the online gambling ... Gambling industry statistics are published twice a year (in May and November) and provide the latest information on each industry sector we regulate, which includes online gambling services offered to customers in Great Britain. The statistics come from the data provided by licence holders through their regulatory returns. Exactly how much does the UK spend on gambling ... About £14.5bn was spent in Great Britain on gambling between October 2017 and ... these statistics don't reflect the period after the ...
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