When they were first launched in 2004, smartphones were a huge hit and there was a high demand for them globally. Each time smartphone companies released new phones they were better than their predecessor in terms of design and performance.

Cyber Life? Real Life with Thickumz!

The era of keeping your head in the phone is fading away slowly. The newest trends presented by real life influencers are truly much more engaging. Have you heard about Thickumz, where slim bodies and big bottoms of women are cherished? That’s right! In this video series only the very best of certain shapes are presented. And boy, these girls surely can showcase their asspects!

The touchscreen launched a new generation of smartphone design and creators focused more on the performance of the device. From the beginning of the smartphone revolution, the demand has always been high and each new device reached its target revenue. Dominant companies like Samsung and apple profited greatly by producing high quality devices.

Samsung

The Samsung brand is one that is known worldwide. The tech giant prides itself of producing the highest quality products imaginable. It dominates the market share with very few competitors. Recently it underwent a damaging incident where one of their phones, the Galaxy Note 7, was exploding and harming their users. This put a huge dent on their brand name.The company has since tried relentlessly to recover from the incident through the use of different strategies. This exploding phone incident can be blamed for the recent decline in sales of Samsung devices.

Another reason for the decline in the sales of Samsung smartphones could be the price of the devices. The consumers do not see the need to upgrade to a more expensive model because they are satisfied with their current device.

They also do not see the difference between newer models and their predecessors other than maybe the device size. For example, the galaxy S7 and the galaxy S6 only differ in size. The features on the phone are more or less similar. This has deterred consumers from upgrading their phones and therefore caused a decline in sales.

Apple Inc.

Apple is another tech giant that is highly dominant in the smartphone industry. The company,dominates the market share in the United States as well as in China. These two countries are very tech savvy and therefore this market has seen the success of Apple. The company also prides itself on manufacturing high quality products. This comes at a costly price. They recently released the iPhone X to the world. It had amazing features that were new and innovative, but it still didn’t do as well as its predecessor, the iPhone 8. Why is that? The impressive device had a price tag of a whopping $1000.

Consumers either did not see the device as being worth the money or they were comfortable with their current devices.

Another scandal that followed Apple is that consumers claimed their devices would stop working nearing the release of a newer model. Apple then confirmed that it is true. Most of the older devices experience problems when a newer model would debut. This caused controversy among the consumers who felt that it was wrong for the company to mess with their devices, forcing them to buy new ones. They lost a percentage of their market share.

In conclusion, in the age of smartphones, almost everyone owns one. The sale of these handy devices will reduce in the coming years. Newer companies like Xiaomi and Oppo offer the same quality gadgets but at a cheaper price. This will eventually be the new trend as the demand for expensive smartphones declines.

The post Global Sale Of Smartphones Falls For The First Time In More Than A Decade appeared first on Suchablog.

The question is, does global warming have anything to do with this increase in the frequency or intensity of storms?

Can Climate Change Cause Hurricanes?

Scientists say that hurricanes cannot be caused by global warming. But human activities definitely contribute towards the intensity of a rainfall. In other words, global warming can increase the rainfall that comes out of a storm – by as much as 30 percent, according to experts.

It’s not an easy conclusion to arrive at. Climate scientists aren’t very eager to connect weather change with a single weather event. But there are certain features of tropical cyclones and hurricanes like Harvey today that are off-kilter in comparison to hurricanes of the past. These elements could be linked to global warming.

How Climate Change Could Affect Hurricanes

The link between climate change and hurricanes may not be self-evident. Global warming is the result of greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide being released in the atmosphere. These gases trap more heat from the sun, which in turn raises temperatures and affects ecosystems around the world.

This heating up of the earth also speeds up the process of evaporation. Clouds contain more water vapor and therefore storms have more water to collect in their ways and dump as compared to a few decades ago.

Another connection between climate change and hurricanes is the fact that the ocean absorbs some of the heat from the air. This raises the temperature of the upper layers of the sea. The movement of water speeds up. Natural tropical storms can be drawn to the warmer parts of the sea and they can feed off this warmth to grow into intense, longer-lasting storms with heavy rainfall.

Why this Hurricane Season Is So Active

The temperatures of the sea and the air created just the right conditions for the storm. There is an area in the Atlantic Ocean, which is called the Main Development Region and is particularly popular with hurricanes.

It’s not easy to collect data on a hurricane, since they are so rare. Having said that, past research has shown that cyclones with average intensity are more likely to get more intense in warm weather. Scientists also say that in the future, high intensity cyclones are likely to become the norm.

These types of storms make up a very small percentage of them, as the majority are small category 1 or 2 hurricanes.

Put An End To Global Warming

Cyclones and hurricanes cause large-scale damage. The global climate community is calling for responsible actions to put a stop to climate change. Hurricane Harvey may have happened anyway, but it would have been a toned-down version of the storm that hit Houston and tore up draining systems.

In a nutshell, if the thought of hurricanes tearing through your favorite burger joint is unpleasant, you should sell your car and join a carpool.

The post Actions Against Global Warming appeared first on Suchablog.

Macron’s ally MoDem also won 42 seats, so in effect his support came from a total of 350 seats. This impressive victory leaves a single dominant party at the center without any strong opposition in the French parliament. Old archetypes of larger, older parties being at an advantage are not longer relevant. It has been an election of many firsts. It is the first time in modern French politics that no candidate from the traditional Republican and Socialist parties stood for the second round of the presidential elections.

It is worthwhile to take a look at Macron’s awe-inspiring win of the top seat and what led to it.

The Advantage Of Institution

Many factors contributed to advantages for Macron in the legislative elections. The elections came close at the heels of the presidential ballot and in such cases the population prefers a stable government. The voters would have wanted to avoid a cohabitation situation in which the president doesn’t have an assembly majority. Also, there were only four first ballot winners for the legislative elections, because voter turnout was low.

Traditional Party Decline

Macron was helped by the losses of the well-established political parties. The right-wing Les Republicans saw a lot of infighting and won 22.23 percent of the seats, coming in second after LREM. Macon may have played some smart politics to effect this, sowing the seeds of dissension by co-opting conservative leaders to his Cabinet.

The Parti Socialiste (PS) only won 29 seats (5.68 percent). Clearly, the voters were dissatisfied with the previous administration under president Francois Hollande, and this reflects in the anti-establishment elements that have cropped up in French politics recently.

Some of the new anti-establishment voices include Marine Le Pen of the Front National radical right wing party, and Jean Luc Melenchon of the France Insoumise (FI) radical left. Both parties won seats for the first time. While the parties are too small to affect policy changes, they are vocal and reflect the new wave that is blowing through French politics.

Macron’s Achievements

Macron ran as an outsider and didn’t have a lot of experience under his belt. But he has competently breezed through four elections since his appointment two months ago and has managed to become a figure that the French are pinning their hopes on.

He built his party around popular ideals including gender parity and political pluralism. At a time when the people of France are frustrated with the left/right system, Macron has brought change.

His MPs are leaders from the private sector and he has brought a powerful mandate for pro-business reforms that speak to the public.

As a French citizen it is fascinating to see how the government has brought about changes in the political landscape. But there’s a lot of pressure on it to deliver quick results. It remains to be seen if the new administration brings about the changes that it has promised, such as his visions for a EU after Brexit.

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Here’s a look at some of the most likely endings for this fantastic show. Since George R. R. Martin’s fictional series is behind the show, there was a lot of original content on Season 7, and Season 8 is likely to be no different.

Jon Snow Wins And Turns Out To Be Azor Ahal

Jon Snow aka Aegon Targaryen is such a survivor that it’s not hard to imagine him ‘winning’ the ‘game’. He might also be the reincarnated great warrior Azor Ahai, who was prophesied to save the world. He has already, convinced Davos to gather the military force of a few lesser Northern Houses, and his aunt will give him Targaryen armies in addition. If he can dethrone Cersei and reveal his real parentage, and win over Dany, he will have saved Westeros. He doesn’t seem to be fond of the throne, so he might abdicate in favor of his aunt.

Daenerys Targaryan Establishes Something Of A Democracy

It is highly possible for Dany to take control of the Seven Kingdoms and establish something of a democracy. She has to overcome the Lannisters and Euron Greyjoy, with the help of the Dothraki and her Unsullied army. But Euron has destroyed a number of her Greyjoys and the Dornish Sand Snakes. She also needs to face the Night King (taking a risk and turning away from her fight with Cersei to do so). She’s left with two dragons, whom she will have to use against the Night King’s army of the dead. Dany may be the only one equipped to kill the White Walkers. She can do this by holding fort at King’s Landing and by protecting the people, and finally claiming the Throne.

Cersei Wins

Cersei’s priority is always whoever she feels is family at the time. She wants to make a dynasty for two, but in order to hold the Iron Throne and keep her kids safe from her family and the undead, she may even kill her lover to achieve it. Cersei is a narcissist who takes pleasure in destroying her enemies, but she is capable. She is yet to face the Army of the Dead, although it would be tired no doubt from fighting in the North. One possibility is that Dany and Jon Snow both fail to defeat The Night King but Cersei uses leftover wildfire from King’s Landing against the army.

Tyrion Lannister Becomes King

Tyrion could be a secret Targaryen, based on the possibility that the Mad King got his way with Tyrion’s mother. At the moment, though, Tyrion is a Lannister killer and has ruled King’s Landing. He could very well seize the throne or be installed in it by Dany. He’d probably be a better king than Jon Snow.

Victory Of The Baby Targaryen

It is possible that Dany and Jon have made a miracle baby, which would be the next in line to the throne. As G.R.R. Martin has promised the ending of the series would be bittersweet, it could be that Jon or Dany die and the miracle baby waits to come of age under the protection of Tyrion or Jorah.

Victory Of Baby Lannister

Cersei’s baby is another likely infant to ascend the throne, provided Cersei dies. Now there are interesting theories about her death being foretold in the hands of a ‘valonqar’, which is ‘little brother’ in valyrian. It could be Jaime, Tyrion or even her boy (the little brother of her previous kids) who fulfill this prophecy.

Euron Greyjoy Wins

Euron is in control of the Iron Fleet and were he to marry Cersei as he has been promised, he could be King. He is traveling to Essos to get the Gold Cloaks, who may abandon their contract. Then Euron will be forced to fight the Night king.

Which ending would you prefer? I personally would love to see how Cersei handles the situation, in her Clair Underwood style.

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No one believed that North Korea would risk nuclear retaliation by actually attacking US land or its allies.

But all eyes are on the conflict since Kim Jong Un decided to send a mid-range missile over Japan and released a dramatic video of the launch. This intercontinental missile has the power to reach the US mainland. Kim Jong Un has tested over eighty missiles since he came to power, and the US estimates that he has 60 nuclear weapons in its arsenal today.

How likely is the situation between US and North Korea and its neighbors to lead to war?

The US-North Korea Situation

Right after DPRK’s (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) show of force in August, President Trump stepped up his rhetoric and said talking wasn’t the answer to the North Korean problem. North Korea threatened the US territory of Guam and promised more missile tests to come.

The UN security council has maintained that it wants peaceful resolution, and ex-president Jimmy Carter has even offered to go to North Korea on behalf of the present administration to try and diffuse the situation.

But Donald Trump has threatened to ‘totally destroy’ North Korea and come to the conclusion that his Secretary of State’s diplomatic outreaches are a waste of time. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who is probably up to his elbows in Brexit, has stopped to say that the Iran deal is proof diplomacy can work, though President Trump continues to take a hardline.

So far, it has been a battle of rhetoric between the two countries since the missile test. But recently, the Japanese defense minister has claimed that the threat from North Korea is ‘critical and imminent’. North Korea’s repeated missile tests has led some experts to believe that it is possible that these missiles could reach the US mainland. He hasn’t called for military action, but has asked for international pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear program.

The question is, what are the realistic chances of either the US or North Korea waging war?

How Likely Is War with North Korea?

Speak to North Korean defectors in South Korea, and many of them are of the view that Kim Jong Un is all tough talk, but he won’t be starting a losing war. Most diplomats believe that he is trying to use his nuclear program as a bargaining chip, and war would not be in his best interests.

The dictator has been threatening, to summarize his latest words, to complete North Korea’s nuclear force for a long time but his talk has become tougher since the Trump administration’s hardline stance against North Korea. The North Korean president says that his complete nuclear army is nearly there, ready to balance real force against the US and prevent an attack.

But Japan is nervous. The US is also preparing for potential military action by running drills on the South Korean peninsula. Most recently, South Korea and US participated in an exercise involving helicopters, fighter jets and naval ships. Kim Jong Un isn’t happy about these drills and has responded with a promise of an ‘unimaginable strike’. Media around the world is reporting a potential Word War 3.

Experts say chances of war are between 10 percent and 25 percent. But while Pyongyang is likely to refrain from nuclear attacks on the US and its allies, it is possible that an aggressive military invasion from Trump could drive Kim Jong Un to use a missile as a last resort.

Another possible scenario for nuclear war is if there is an (unlikely) domestic uprising that threatens Kim Jong Un and forces his hand. Wherever there are nuclear weapons, there is always a chance of accidental detonation.

The post The Verbal War Between The US And North Korea Could Escalate To Full-Blown War appeared first on Suchablog.

This is an important discovery as it will help scientists better understand how the virus evolved from the Aedes-borne virus into a pathogen that is causing congenital birth defects around the world. It will also help scientists in researching vaccines and treatments.

Zika Virus Has Become More Deadly Over the Years

Bear with me for some technical details. In order to understand what gives ZIKV its characteristics, scientists compared different strains of the virus. Samples were taken from ZIKV strains from the 2015-2016 epidemic in South America. These were compared with the Asian ZIKV strain that affected Cambodia in 2010. The number of infants born with small heads has gone up since the epidemic in Brazil in 2015. The appearance of Zika virus in Cambodia was limited to seven between 2007 and 2010. Since then, the virus seems to have undergone mutations to its present form.

The scientists found one particular mutation, the S139N, to be critical in the cause of small heads at birth. This mutation has taken place over the period between 2010 and 2016. This mutation has killed more newborn mice and caused more severe cases of small heads in mice than the others. The Asian Zika virus is the ancestor of this deadly mutated strain. The strain’s lethality is partly because of the replacement of one amino acid with another, to dangerous ends. In this mutated strain, an amino acid called serine is replaced with an amino acid called arparagine, which may be responsible for microcephaly.

The History of the Zika Virus

The Zika virus was first spotted in monkeys in Uganda as early as 1947. Three years later the first human infection of the Zika virus was reported. The virus had existed in Asia for years before this. Blood tests in South and Southeast Asia found Zika antibodies in the local population, suggesting that these regions had been exposed to the virus. But not many cases of the virus were reported.

The first outbreak in a large scale was in 2007. The virus appeared in the Western Pacific island of Yap and affected fifty people. Doctors were baffled by the symptoms of joint pain, inflamed eyes and rashes. Still something of a medical curiosity, the virus then spread across Africa and Asia.

But the incidence of symptoms was low – only one in five infected people would develop symptoms, and most were mild symptoms. Today, 1.5 million people in Brazil are affected by the virus. Scientists are anxious to find out what made it worse. There are speculations that more symptoms of Zika may already have existed but been mistaken for similar illnesses like dengue. Some experts believe that the Zika did less damage in Asia possibly because of aggressive vaccination for Japanese encephalitis, which may have had some effect on the Zika.

Zika and Birth Defects

Brazilian research into the Zika virus has only recently confirmed that women infected by the Zika virus were highly likely to give birth to babies with an underdeveloped brain and an unusually small head. Not all babies infected by the Zika virus at birth will display the symptoms of the virus, but they may experience slower head growth after birth. Not all women infected by the Zika virus give birth to babies with abnormally small heads either.

Meanwhile, if you’re visiting an area affected by Zika, you should be very careful in using condoms, which is good advice in the best of times.

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When asked whether he would be retiring in June 2019, David Davis said “yes” and suggested that Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson could deal with the two year transition period after Britain leaves the EU.

At the same time, there are rumors of cabinet ministers unhappy with Brexit. Mr Johnson has said that he thinks some EU leaders are under the impression that Britain is reluctant to leave and will cancel the move in the middle of negotiations.

These reports paint a picture of a divided cabinet, and points to a looming cabinet reshuffle in the near future. On the other hand, there is discontent within the party with the leadership of Prime Minister Theresa May, and Mr Davis’ retirement could mean a crisis in leadership.

Is the Cabinet Really Torn Over Brexit?

According to recent reports Mr Davis has said that there is no dissension within the cabinet regarding Brexit. He said the British government has already approved Article 50 unanimously. Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon allows any EU member to leave unilaterally, and gives the exiting country two years to negotiate an exit deal. Once Article 50 has been set into motion, it cannot be reversed without the unanimous decision of all the EU member states.

The Brexit Secretary also cited Prime Minister Theresa May’s September speech in Florence as the government’s decisive view on Brexit.

However, those who have heard the speech will be under the impression that the Government believes there are more problems than benefits of Brexit. The PM spoke at length about Britain’s shared history with Europe asked EU countries to allow Britain to pause full exit until 2021. In other words, Britain wants to continue to enjoy full access to the single market until then.

Despite the mixed signals, David Davis has said that Brexit is his ‘legacy’ and he doesn’t want to walk away from negotiations. To that end, he is preparing the cabinet for the possibility that Britain won’t be granted a trade agreement for two years after leaving. He is under pressure from some hardline Brexiteers to walk away from the negotiations, but he has withstood these demands so far.

Potential Leadership Crisis

If the Brexit Secretary leaves amid the potential impeachment of the Prime Minister, there will be a lack of leadership in Britain at a demanding time. He has been asked by allies to take interim power before a suitable Prime Ministerial candidate can be found. He has suggested Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson as the man to take charge in the interim.

The reports of David Davis retiring comes right in the heels of the anger generated by Boris Johnson’s 4000-word article criticizing Brexit was published in the Daily Telegraph. This article was seen as a challenge to the leadership of the PM and the Foreign Secretary was accused of backseat-driving the exit. The Foreign Secretary maintains that his article pushed the Government into supporting a two-year transition instead of the original five-year plan. However, David Davis claims that the article had no influence on the Government plans for Brexit.

Where Britain Stands Now

David Davis is now urging the Cabinet to have an insurance policy in place in case the Brexit negotiations fall through. The Prime Minister has said that she prefers a trade agreement, and others such as the Home Secretary Amber Rudd say a ‘no deal’ Brexit is unthinkable. It is highly likely that Britain will trade on the terms of the World Trade Organization after Brexit.

But the Brexit Secretary wants to leave the EU on good terms, and continues his negotiations. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is a likely candidate for PM, and is considered a relatable figure despite his love of long words and floral jogging shorts.

The post Cabinet Torn Apart Over Brexit: David Davis Plans To Retire As Secretary appeared first on Suchablog.

The Price Point

As far as dream phones go, the iPhone 8 is expensive, but now that it has come into the market, it is not as hard on the wallet as experts had estimated in the days leading up to the launch. There had been rumors, from Goldman Sachs no less, that the iPhone 8 could be priced at $1000 (851 Euros). There is a premium model that is priced at 999 Euros for the European market, which is slightly more expensive than the same model in the American market, as expected. But the cheapest iPhone 8 with 64 GB storage comes at a price of 829 Euros.

The question for iPhone 7 users is, is it worth upgrading to the new iPhone? Another variable in the mix is the 10-year anniversary edition iPhone X, which is to be launched in November in France and will cost two handfuls of chocolate less than the minimum wage, say shocked newspapers.

Is the Performance Better?

Powering the iPhone 8 is an all new six-core Bionic Chip A11, which is, on paper, 25 percent faster than the A10 Fusion Chip on your iPhone 7. Assisting it is an M11 motion co-processor, a theoretical step-up from the M10 motion co-processors. When techies have compared the two phone performances, they’ve found the iPhone 8 is significantly faster, but the iPhone 7 is still impressively fast. Plus, you may find the speed of the iPhone 8 is wasted on existing apps, which don’t need that kind of power.

The new iPhone also has an impressive GPU to support the augmented reality APIs that will run many of the games and apps for the iPhone. But these apps perform well on the iPhone 7 as well, so the choice will not be easy to make if you’re not moved by the glamor and hype surrounding the iPhone 8.

If you like to own the latest in cutting edge technology, then you’ll appreciate the Neural Engine, which is an additional chipset for the phone to process machine learning and AI. This feature can seem exciting, but it’s an investment in a future technology.

Is the OLED Display a Must-Have?

One of the USPs of the iPhone is its OLED screen, but then not everyone may want an OLED screen. It will certainly improve battery performance but most users won’t notice a significant difference in quality as compared to LCD screens. Plus, the Samsung Galaxy 8 also has a large OLED screen and is priced less than the iPhone. If you’re in for the glamor of OLED, you may want to think about the other features.

What About the Camera?

The new camera is slightly better than your iPhone 7 camera. It’s still 12 megapixels, but the technology that powers it comes with some new features to help you take better pictures. It offers better low-light performance. There is a portrait lighting feature on the iPhone 8 Plus and a new flash system with four LEDs and Slow Sync. You will be able to take 4 K video recording at 24, 30 and 60 fps and 1080p slow-mo video recording at 240 fps besides the standard 120 fps.

Wireless Features Worth It?

If you use Bluetooth accessories a lot, you may enjoy the bumped up Bluetooth 5.0. You’ll find your device batteries last much longer and the range is four times what you were used to. Of course, it’s only worthwhile if your Bluetooth accessories are Bluetooth 5.0-compatible.

If you travel a lot and use location services, then the support for GLONASS, GPS, QZSS and Galileo will come in handy on your travels. Both these features are not essential for most people.

Easier Charging?

So far, iPhone 7 users have used Lightning cables to charge their phones. The new phone will come with a lightning cable, but there are other convenient ways of charging as well. The most jaw-dropping is the wireless charging capability, but you need a Qi-supported charger for that. The new phone also supports Quick Charge, which lets you fire up the battery from 0 to 50 percent in less than half an hour. But again, you need to buy a USD-C to Lightning cable and an AC adapter compatible for Quick Charge to use this feature.

The Verdict

If 64 GB and 256 GB storage seem attractive to you (compared with 32 GB and 128 GB on the iPhone 7) then the new iPhone 8 can be worth it. If you’re recording space-guzzling 4K video then it’s clear which option to go for.

On the flip side, the new phone doesn’t support Face ID, nor does it have a 5.8 inch OLED super-retina display with support for HDR that the iPhone X will have. In the end, whether or not the iPhone 8 is worthwhile, or whether you should get the iPhone X or keep the iPhone 7 is really a matter of subjective preference. This verdict says a lot about the iPhone 7 and I’m certainly not trading in!

The post iPhone 8: Is it Really Worth The Hype? appeared first on Suchablog.

Stephen Paddock had smashed a window with a hammer and was shooting high-powered semi-automatic rifles on the crowd from his hotel room on the 32nd floor. It’s easy to imagine that from up there the packed crowd must have looked like sitting ducks at a fairground shooting gallery. He also shot a hotel security guard, before the police arrived at his floor around a quarter past ten and found his body along with 23 firearms and ammunition. The gunman had shot himself, leaving a carnage on the street outside, as well as lots of unanswered questions.

Paddock killed 58 people that night and injured and wounded hundreds of others. I have been questioning like everyone else: what made him do it?

What Makes A Mass Murderer?

What makes a man a mass murderer? Sometimes, some people aren’t able to cope with a blow, such as a layoff, and they reach for the nearest firearm. It is easy to see how poor anger management and access to firearms can lead to untoward incidents. A bout of depression and reaching the end of the tether can be a trigger, but it’s hard to say definitively that mental illness increases chances of gun violence.

There have been many infamous cases of mass murder around the world in the past several decades, and it’s not limited to the US. In 2015 there were more deaths from public shootings in France than in the US. In the massacres that cannot be linked to terrorism, it is not easy to pinpoint traits that makes a mass murderer different from us or our neighbors. It would be nice if the police told us what to expect a mass murderer looks, so we can watch out for them and turn them in when we see one. But just as you can’t spot a future serial killer from his early run-ins with the law, you cannot tell who will one day turn and shoot down innocent people in public. Was Stephen Paddock any different?

Who Was Stephen Paddock?

Stephen Paddock seems like an average man. People were surprised to know he had a degree in business administration from California State University. The police haven’t found any links with terrorists. He had not lost his job. He owned a lot of property around the country and in Australia, and made a lot of money from his real estate business. He was amicable with his two ex-wives and enjoyed taking cruises. According to his brother, Paddock wasn’t particularly political or religious. What drives such a man to open fire on innocent people? Did he simply have a burning hatred for country music?

There are some facts about Paddock that the media would jump to crucify with. He was a gambler who enjoyed playing video poker and may have made good profits, but high stakes Las Vegas gamblers didn’t know him. Video poker involves math calculations of the odds. He had been gambling for 25 years.

Paddock’s father had been a bank robber, but according to his brother Eric, their dad was rarely around to influence the kids. Those who knew him said Stephen was methodical and intelligent, though he kept to himself and didn’t hang out at shooting ranges or gun clubs.

In the months before the shooting, he sent his Filipino girlfriend back home with money to buy a house there. He was often drunk and had altercations with prostitutes. He was also taking the anti-anxiety drug Valium for depression. He was 64. Two days before the shooting he drove to a gun range for target practice.

Why Did Stephen Paddock Kill?

Paddock was a methodical man who had quietly bragged to a friend that he developed algorithms to beat the video poker machines. In his hotel room police found calculations of bullet trajectories that would kill as many people as possible. But the gunman took his motives to the grave.

There have been many speculations about it, from experts as well as armchair psychologists. Some say he wanted the notoriety. Others say criminality runs in the family. He was depressed, but not everyone with depression commits murder. One criminal profiler John Kelly says the combination of alcohol and Valium may have put Paddock in a delusional and murderous rage. According to the profiler, Paddock may have had sociopathic tendencies, low self esteem and shame from childhood.

While real motives remain a mystery in this case, it is best not to speculate about what Stephen Paddock’s case says about mass murderers. I believe every such case has its own story that we shouldn’t ignore.

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