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127-431: A heckler is a person who harasses and tries to disconcert others with questions, challenges, or gibes. Hecklers are often known to shout discouraging comments at a performance or event, or to interrupt set-piece speeches, with the intent of disturbing performers or participants. Although the word heckler , which originated from the textile trade, was first attested in the mid-15th century, its use as "person who harasses"

254-465: A gravelly or dry sandy nature. Farming flax requires few fertilizers or pesticides . Within eight weeks of sowing, the plant can reach 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) in height, reaching 70–80 cm (28–31 in) within 50 days. In 2022, world production of raw or retted flax was 875,995 tonnes , led by France with 75% of the total. One of the largest regions in France for flax production

381-410: A manure spreader , apologizing to the crowd for speaking from a Tory platform , at which someone in the crowd shouted, "Well, wind 'er up Mitch, she's never carried a bigger load!" Legally, such conduct may constitute protected free speech . Strategically, coarse or belittling retorts to hecklers entail personal risk disproportionate to any gain. Some politicians, however, have been known to improvise

508-449: A pigment binder in oil paints , as a plasticizer and hardener in putty , and in the manufacture of linoleum . Linseed oil use has declined over the past several decades with increased availability of synthetic alkyd resins—which function similarly but resist yellowing. Flax seed and its oil are generally recognized as safe for human consumption. Like many common foods, flax contains small amounts of cyanogenic glycoside , which

635-863: A vegetable oil known as flax seed oil or linseed oil , which is one of the oldest commercial oils. It is an edible oil obtained by expeller pressing and sometimes followed by solvent extraction . Solvent-processed flax seed oil has been used for many centuries as a drying oil in painting and varnishing. Although brown flax seed varieties may be consumed as readily as the yellow ones, and have been for thousands of years, these varieties are more commonly used in paints, for fiber, and for cattle feed. A 100-gram portion of ground flax seed supplies about 2,234 kilojoules (534 kilocalories) of food energy , 41 g of fat, 28 g of fiber, and 20 g of protein. Whole flax seeds are chemically stable, but ground flax seed meal, because of oxidation , may go rancid when left exposed to air at room temperature in as little as

762-475: A "set of human-looking bot accounts" used to post political content, which was able to operate automatically for fourteen days (and make 1,586 posts) before being detected and suspended by Twitter. Twitter trends are often targeted by astroturfing as they are used as a proxy for popularity. A study conducted by researchers at EPFL reported that 20% of the global Twitter trends in 2019 were fake, created automatically using fake and compromised accounts which tweet in

889-485: A BMI greater than 27. Another meta-analysis showed that consumption of flax seeds for more than 12 weeks produced small reductions in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure . A third showed that consuming flax seed or its derivatives may reduce total and LDL-cholesterol in the blood, with greater benefits in women and people with high cholesterol . A fourth showed a small reduction in c-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation) only in persons with

1016-492: A P/R firm Schandwick International, to create a national coalition of patient advocacy groups promoting Schering's Rebotron, a treatment for Hepatitis C . The groups pushed increased testing as a way to manufacture cases and lobbied state legislatures to cover the $ 18,000 treatment. The groups also hosted telephone "information lines" with scripts written by the drug company and distributed "patient information" pamphlets promoting drug therapies over other alternatives and overstating

1143-510: A body mass index greater than 30. Linseed oil , also known as flaxseed oil or flax oil (in its edible form), is a colourless to yellowish oil obtained from the dried, ripened seeds of the flax plant ( Linum usitatissimum ). The oil is obtained by pressing , sometimes followed by solvent extraction . Owing to its polymer-forming properties, linseed oil is often blended with combinations of other oils, resins or solvents as an impregnator, drying oil finish or varnish in wood finishing , as

1270-590: A coalition of oil and gas company executives grouped under the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers also initiated a series of Canadian actions to advocate for the oil and gas industry in Canada through mainstream and social media, and using online campaigning to generate public support for fossil fuel energy projects. In 2006, two Edelman employees created a blog called "Wal-Marting Across America" about two people traveling to Wal-Marts across

1397-405: A combine then harvests the seeds similar to wheat or oat harvesting. The plant is pulled up with the roots (not cut), so as to increase the fiber length. After this, the flax is allowed to dry, the seeds are removed, and it is then retted . Dependent upon climatic conditions, characteristics of the sown flax and fields, the flax remains on the ground between two weeks and two months for retting. As

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1524-455: A commercial or political interest. Some political movements have provided incentives for members of the public to send a letter to the editor at their local paper, often using a copy and paste form letter that is published in dozens of newspapers verbatim. Another technique is the use of sockpuppets , where a single person creates multiple identities online to give the appearance of grassroots support. Sockpuppets may post positive reviews about

1651-755: A coordinated way to mimic grassroots organizing of regular Twitter users. Many countries have laws that prohibit more overt astroturfing practices. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may send cease-and-desist orders or require a fine of $ 16,000 per day for those that violate its "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". The FTC's guides were updated in 2009 to address social media and word-of-mouth marketing. According to an article in

1778-515: A detention book..." Flax Flax , also known as common flax or linseed , is a flowering plant , Linum usitatissimum , in the family Linaceae . It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates . In 2022, France produced 75% of the world's supply of flax. Textiles made from flax are known in English as linen , and are traditionally used for bed sheets, underclothes, and table linen. Its oil

1905-765: A further disadvantage, because this fatty acid oxidises and goes rancid quickly, which shortens the storage time. Linola was developed in Australia and introduced in the 1990s with less omega-3, specifically to serve as fodder . Another disadvantage of the meal and seed is that it contains a vitamin B6 ( pyridoxine ) antagonist, and may require this vitamin be supplemented, especially in chickens , and furthermore linseeds contain 2–7% of mucilage (fibre), which may be beneficial in humans and cattle, but cannot be digested by non-ruminants and can be detrimental to young animals, unless possibly treated with enzymes . Linseed meal

2032-647: A game against the Los Angeles Angels . An older man yelled "The way you played today Alex, you should be lucky someone wants your autograph." Ríos then replied with "Who gives a fuck", repeating it until being ushered into a vehicle. Ríos did apologize the next day, but was eventually placed on waivers and claimed by the Chicago White Sox later that year. The heckling of Bob Dylan at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in 1966

2159-525: A letter to a politician. Paid online commentators in China are purportedly paid 50 cents for each online post that is not removed by moderators, leading to the nickname of the " 50-cent party ". The New York Times reported that a business selling fake online book reviews charged $ 999 for 50 reviews and made $ 28,000 a month shortly after opening. According to the Financial Times , astroturfing

2286-501: A man (either Joel Robinson, Mike Nelson or Jonah Heston ) and two robots (Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot) sitting in a theater mocking bad B-movies. This style of comedy, coined as riffing, is continued with commentary-based series such as RiffTrax and Cinematic Titanic . In one of Rowan Atkinson 's plays, The School Master , a heckler interrupted his play by shouting "Here!" after Atkinson had read out an amusing name on his register. Atkinson incorporated it into his act by saying "I have

2413-470: A nation of laws, that's part of our tradition," he continued. "And so the easy way out is to try to yell and pretend like I can do something by violating our laws. And what I'm proposing is the harder path, which is to use our democratic processes to achieve the same goal." One modern political approach to discourage heckling is to ensure that major events are given before a "tame" audience of sympathizers, or conducted to allow restrictions on who may remain on

2540-565: A network of Facebook groups with the overall aim to promote the Russian president Vladimir Putin as a hero standing up to the West with overwhelming international support. Members, activities, and interrelations in 10 pro-Putin public groups with more than 650,000 members between them in the time of writing, boasting names such as Vladimir Putin - Leader of the Free World , were analyzed. Over

2667-429: A number of different online persons from the same workstation and without fear of being discovered by sophisticated adversaries. Personas must be able to appear to originate in nearly any part of the world and can interact through conventional online services and social media platforms..." The $ 2.6 million contract was awarded to Ntrepid for astroturfing software the military would use to spread pro-American propaganda in

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2794-551: A percentage of total fat , flax seeds contain 54% omega-3 fatty acids (mostly ALA ), 18% omega-9 fatty acids ( oleic acid ), and 6% omega-6 fatty acids ( linoleic acid ); the seeds contain 9% saturated fat , including 5% as palmitic acid . Flax seed oil contains 53% 18:3 omega-3 fatty acids (mostly ALA) and 13% 18:2 omega-6 fatty acids. A meta-analysis showed that consumption of more than 30 g of flax-seed daily for more than 12 weeks reduced body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference for persons with

2921-450: A product, attack participants that criticize the organization, or post negative reviews and comments about competitors, under fake identities. Astroturfing businesses may pay staff based on the number of posts they make that are not flagged by moderators. Persona management software may be used so that each paid poster can manage five to seventy convincing online personas without getting them confused. Online astroturfing using sockpuppets

3048-487: A relevant and witty response despite these pitfalls. One acknowledged expert at this was Harold Wilson , British Prime Minister in the 1960s: Martin Luther King Jr. 's 1963 " I Have a Dream " speech was largely a response to supporter Mahalia Jackson interrupting his prepared speech to shout "Tell them about the dream, Martin". At that point, King stopped reading from his previously prepared speech and improvised

3175-401: A result of alternating rain and the sun, an enzymatic action degrades the pectins which bind fibers to the straw. The farmers turn over the straw during retting to evenly rett the stalks. When the straw is retted and sufficiently dry, it is rolled up. It is then stored by farmers before extracting the fibers. Threshing is the process of removing the seeds from the rest of the plant. Separating

3302-426: A service point to distract either player. Another common heckle from tennis fans is cheering after a service fault, which is considered to be rude and unsporting. In 2009, then Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Alex Ríos was a victim of a heckling incident outside after a fund-raising event. The incident occurred after Ríos declined to sign an autograph for a young fan, the same day he went 0 for 5 with 5 strikeouts in

3429-427: A settlement with 19 companies to prevent astroturfing. "'Astroturfing' is the 21st century's version of false advertising, and prosecutors have many tools at their disposal to put an end to it," said Scheiderman. The companies paid $ 350,000 to settle the matter, but the settlement opened the way for private suits as well. "Every state has some version of the statutes New York used," according to lawyer Kelly H. Kolb. "What

3556-473: A speech he was making to a joint session of Congress. Wilson later apologized for his outburst. On 25 November 2013, Ju Hong, a 24-year-old South Korean immigrant without legal documentation, shouted at Obama to use his executive power to stop deportation of unauthorized noncitizens. Obama said "If, in fact, I could solve all these problems without passing laws in Congress, then I would do so." "But we're also

3683-413: A strategy for quashing such outbursts, usually by having a repertoire of comebacks for hecklers—known as savers , heckler lines , squelchers , or squelches —on hand; those who handle the moment in an off-the-cuff manner do so by giving the heckler "enough rope to hang themselves". Stewart Lee treats heckles as genuine inquiries. Jerry Seinfeld is a "Heckle Therapist", who verbally sympathizes with

3810-568: A substitute for tallow in increasing marbling . In the US, flax-based feed for ruminants is often somewhat more expensive than other feeds on a nutrient basis. Sheep feeding on low quality forage are able to eat a large amount of linseed meal, up to 40% in one test, with positive consequences. It has been fed as supplement to water buffaloes in India, and provided a better diet than forage alone, but not as good as when substituted with soy meal. It

3937-420: A sympathetic public, and is designed to create the image of public consensus where there is none. Astroturfing is the use of fake grassroots efforts that primarily focus on influencing public opinion and typically are funded by corporations and political entities to form opinions. On the internet, astroturfers use software to hide their identity. Sometimes one individual operates through many personas to give

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4064-490: A visiting team. Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles American football team are notorious for heckling; among the most infamous incidents were booing and subsequently throwing snowballs at a performer dressed as Santa Claus in a halftime show in 1968, and cheering at the career-ending injury of visiting team player Michael Irvin in 1999. Often, sports heckling will also involve throwing objects onto

4191-479: A week. Refrigeration and storage in sealed containers will keep ground flax seed meal for a longer period before it turns rancid. Under conditions similar to those found in commercial bakeries, trained sensory panelists could not detect differences between bread made with freshly ground flax seed and bread made with flax seed that had been milled four months earlier and stored at room temperature. If packed immediately without exposure to air and light, milled flax seed

4318-418: Is Normandy with nearly one-third of the world's production. Flax is harvested for fiber production after about 100 days, or a month after the plants flower and two weeks after the seed capsules form. The bases of the plants begin to turn yellow. If the plants are still green, the seed will not be useful, and the fiber will be underdeveloped. The fiber degrades once the plants turn brown. Flax grown for seed

4445-762: Is "commonplace" in American politics, but was "revolutionary" in Europe when it was exposed that the European Privacy Association , an anti-privacy "think-tank", was actually sponsored by technology companies. Although the term "astroturfing" was not yet developed, an early example of the practice was in Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare 's play Julius Caesar . In the play, Gaius Cassius Longinus writes fake letters from "the public" to convince Brutus to assassinate Julius Caesar . The term "astroturfing"

4572-401: Is a protein -rich feed for ruminants , rabbits , and fish. It is also often used as feed for swine and poultry , and has also been used in horse concentrate and dog food . The high omega-3 fatty acid ( ALA ) content of linseed meal "softens" milk, eggs, and meat, which means it causes a higher unsaturated fat content and thus lowers its storage time. The high omega-3 content also has

4699-639: Is a form of Sybil attack against distributed systems. Pharmaceutical companies may sponsor patient support groups and simultaneously push them to help market their products. Bloggers who receive free products, paid travel or other accommodations may also be considered astroturfing if those gifts are not disclosed to the reader. Analysts could be considered astroturfing, since they often cover their own clients without disclosing their financial connection. To avoid astroturfing, many organizations and press have policies about gifts, accommodations and disclosures. Persona management software can age accounts and simulate

4826-542: Is added to cattle feed as a protein supplement . It can only be added at low percentages due to the high fat content, which is unhealthy for ruminants. Compared to oilseed meal from crucifers it measures as having lower nutrient values, however, good results are obtained in cattle, perhaps due to the mucilage, which may aid in slowing digestion and thus allowing more time to absorb nutrients. One study found that feeding flax seeds may increase omega-3 content in beef , while another found no differences. It might also act as

4953-416: Is allowed to mature until the seed capsules are yellow and just starting to split; it is then harvested in various ways. A combine harvester may either cut only the heads of the plants, or the whole plant. These are then dried to extract the seed. The amount of weeds in the straw affects its marketability, and this, coupled with market prices, determines whether the farmer chooses to harvest the flax straw. If

5080-492: Is basic politics." According to a Porter/Novelli executive, "There will be times when the position you advocate, no matter how well framed and supported, will not be accepted by the public simply because you are who you are." Data-mining expert Bing Liu ( University of Illinois Chicago ) estimated that one-third of all consumer reviews on the Internet are fake. According to The New York Times , this has made it hard to tell

5207-474: Is considered an inferior protein supplement for swine because of its fibre, the vitamin antagonist, the high omega-3 content and its low lysine content, and can only be used in small amounts in the feed. Although it may increase the omega-3 content in eggs and meat, it is also an inferior and potentially toxic feed for poultry, although it can be used in small amounts. The meal is an adequate and traditional source of protein for rabbits at 8–10%. Its use in fish feeds

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5334-477: Is easily over-retted, damaging the fiber. This form of retting also produces quite an odor. Stream retting is similar to pool retting, but the flax is submerged in bundles in a stream or river. This generally takes two or three weeks longer than pond retting, but the end product is less likely to be dirty, does not smell as bad, and because the water is cooler, is less likely to be over-retted. Both pond and stream retting were traditionally used less because they pollute

5461-550: Is extracted from the bast beneath the surface of the stem of the flax plant. Flax fiber is soft, lustrous, and flexible; bundles of fiber have the appearance of blonde hair, hence the description "flaxen" hair. It is stronger than cotton fiber, but less elastic. The use of flax fibers dates back tens of millennia; linen , a refined textile made from flax fibers, was worn widely by Sumerian priests more than 4,000 years ago. Industrial-scale flax fiber processing existed in antiquity. A Bronze Age factory dedicated to flax processing

5588-471: Is from 1885. To heckle was to tease or comb out flax or hemp fibres. The additional meaning, to interrupt speakers with awkward or embarrassing questions, was first used in Scotland, and specifically in early 19th century Dundee , a town where the hecklers who combed the flax had established a reputation as the most belligerent element in the workforce. In the heckling factory, one heckler would read out

5715-407: Is generally more likely to be tolerated in blue-collar or working-class venues. Comedians generally dislike heckling. Hecklers may rarely threaten or physically assault comedians. Even more rarely, comedians may receive death threats. Comedians counter hecklers by controlling the flow of conversation. A comedian cannot completely ignore a heckler without undermining the performance. Comedians devise

5842-561: Is gripped by rubber belts roughly 20–25 cm (8–10 inches) above ground, to avoid getting grasses and weeds in the flax. The rubber belts then pull the whole plant out of the ground with the roots so the whole length of the plant fiber can be used. The plants then pass over the machine and is placed on the field crosswise to the harvester's direction of travel. The plants are left in the field for field retting . The mature plant can also be cut with mowing equipment, similar to hay harvesting, and raked into windrows. When dried sufficiently,

5969-476: Is known as linseed oil . In addition to referring to the plant, the word "flax" may refer to the unspun fibers of the flax plant. The plant species is known only as a cultivated plant and appears to have been domesticated just once from the wild species Linum bienne , called pale flax. The plants called "flax" in New Zealand are, by contrast, members of the genus Phormium . Several other species in

6096-512: Is limited. Raw, immature linseeds contain an amount of cyanogenic compounds and can be dangerous for monogastric animals, like horses and rabbits. Boiling removes the danger. This is not an issue in meal cake due to the processing temperature during oil extraction. Flax straw left over from the harvesting of oilseed is not very nutritious; it is tough and indigestible, and is not recommended to use as ruminant fodder, although it may be used as bedding or baled as windbreaks . Flax fiber

6223-433: Is nontoxic when consumed in typical amounts. Typical concentrations (for example, 0.48% in a sample of defatted dehusked flax seed meal) can be removed by special processing. The soils most suitable for flax, besides the alluvial kind, are deep loams containing a large proportion of organic matter . Flax is often found growing just above the waterline in cranberry bogs. Heavy clays are unsuitable, as are soils of

6350-498: Is one astroturfing technique. These groups typically present themselves as serving the public interest, while actually working on behalf of a corporate or political sponsor. Front groups may resist legislation and scientific consensus that is damaging to the sponsor's business by emphasizing minority viewpoints, instilling doubt and publishing counterclaims by corporate-sponsored experts. Fake blogs can also be created that appear to be written by consumers, while actually being operated by

6477-403: Is one of the most famous examples in music history. During a quiet moment in between songs, an audience member shouts very loudly and clearly, "Judas!" referencing Dylan's so-called betrayal of folk music by "going electric". Dylan replied: "I don't believe you, you're a liar!" before telling his band to "Play it fucking loud!" They played an acidic version of " Like a Rolling Stone ". This incident

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6604-428: Is produced when retting, and it would corrode the metal. If the water temperature is kept at 27 °C (80 °F), the retting process under these conditions takes 4 or 5 days. If the water is any colder, it takes longer. Scum collects at the top, and an odor is given off the same as in pond retting. 'Enzymatic' retting of flax has been researched as a technique to engineer fibers with specific properties. Dressing

6731-437: Is regarded as a sign of audience members becoming impatient with what they regard as a low-quality performance. New comics are often underprepared to handle hecklers properly. In addition, live comedy venues tend to discourage heckling via signage and admissions policy, but tend to tolerate it as it creates customer loyalty. The etiquette of exactly how much heckling is tolerated differs immensely from venue to venue, however, but

6858-777: Is regulated by Section 18 of the Australian Consumer Law , which broadly prohibits "misleading and deceptive conduct". According to the Journal of Consumer Policy , Australia's laws, which were introduced in 1975, are more vague. In most cases, they are enforced through lawsuits from competitors, rather than the regulatory body, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission . There is also an International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN). Legal regulations are primarily targeted towards testimonials, endorsements and statements as to

6985-421: Is stable against excessive oxidation when stored for nine months at room temperature, and under warehouse conditions, for 20 months at ambient temperatures. Three phenolic glucosides — secoisolariciresinol diglucoside , p-coumaric acid glucoside, and ferulic acid glucoside—are present in commercial breads containing flax seed. After crushing the seeds to extract linseed oil, the resultant linseed meal

7112-661: The Journal of Consumer Policy , the FTC's guides holds advertisers responsible for ensuring bloggers or product endorsers comply with the guides, and any product endorsers with a material connection are required to provide honest reviews. In the European Union , the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive requires that paid-for editorial content in the media provide a clear disclosure that

7239-463: The 2010 U.S. midterm elections and account suspensions on the social media platform. The study cited a limited number of examples, all promoting conservative policies and candidates. In 2003, GOPTeamLeader.com offered the site's users "points" that could be redeemed for products if they signed a form letter promoting George Bush and got a local paper to publish it as a letter to the editor . More than 100 newspapers published an identical letter to

7366-411: The 2018 Wisconsin gubernatorial election . In 2018, a website called "Jexodus" claiming to be by "proud Jewish Millennials tired of living in bondage to leftist politics" was set up by Jeff Ballabon , a Republican operative in his mid-50s. The website was denounced as "likely a clumsy astroturf effort rather than an actual grassroots movement". The website was registered November 5, 2018, before

7493-584: The Fertile Crescent region. Evidence exists of a domesticated oilseed flax with increased seed-size from Tell Ramad in Syria and flax fabric fragments from Çatalhöyük in Turkey by c.  9,000 years ago. Use of the crop steadily spread, reaching as far as Switzerland and Germany by 5,000 years ago. In China and India, domesticated flax was cultivated at least 5,000 years ago. Flax

7620-619: The Israeli administration was kept secret. In 2008, an expert on Chinese affairs, Rebecca MacKinnon , estimated the Chinese government employed 280,000 people in a government-sponsored astroturfing operation to post pro-government propaganda on social media and drown out voices of dissent. In June 2010, the United States Air Force solicited for "persona management" software that would "enable an operator to exercise

7747-685: The Sydney Cricket Ground named after him, and now a statue. The sport of cricket is particularly notorious for heckling between the teams themselves, which is known as sledging . At the NBA Drafts of recent years, many fans have gone with heckling ESPN NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith . Most notably, the Stephen A. Smith Heckling Society of Gentlemen heckles him with a sock puppet dubbed as Stephen A. himself. Tennis fans are also fairly noted for heckling. Some may call out during

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7874-540: The Tea Party movement have been accused of being astroturfed. In October and November 2018, conservative marketing firm Rally Forge created what The New Yorker described as "a phony left-wing front group, America Progress Now, which promoted Green Party candidates online in 2018, apparently to hurt Democrats in several races." Its ads on Facebook used socialist memes and slogans to attack Democrats and urge third-party protest voting in several tight races, including

8001-579: The hygiene of linen textiles and the health of linseed oil, Charlemagne revived the crop in the eighth century CE . Eventually, Flanders became the major center of the European linen industry in the Middle Ages . In North America, colonists introduced flax, and it flourished there, but by the early 20th century, cheap cotton and rising farm wages had caused production of flax to become concentrated in northern Russia, which came to provide 90% of

8128-438: The straw from the fiber. Heckling is pulling the fiber through various sizes of heckling combs or heckles. A heckle is a bed of "nails"—sharp, long-tapered, tempered, polished steel pins driven into wooden blocks at regular spacing. In September 2009, Canadian flax exports reportedly had been contaminated by a deregistered genetically modified cultivar called 'Triffid' that had food and feed safety approval in Canada and

8255-496: The 2014 crop. Laboratories are certified to test for the presence of Triffid at a level of one seed in 10,000. Astroturfing The implication behind the use of the term is that instead of a "true" or "natural" grassroots effort behind the activity in question, there is a "fake" or "artificial" appearance of support. In political science , it is defined as the process of seeking electoral victory or legislative relief for grievances by helping political actors find and mobilize

8382-588: The 82-year-old peace campaigner who was forced out of the Labour Party conference last month, was in the audience." On Thursday, 20 April 2006, a heckler from the Falun Gong spiritual movement entered the US White House grounds as a reporter and interrupted a formal arrival ceremony for Chinese president Hu Jintao . Moments into Hu's speech at the event, Wang Wenyi , perched on the top tier of

8509-705: The Federal Trade Commission rarely enforces its astroturfing laws. Operations are frequently detected if their profile images are recognized or if they are identified through the usage patterns of their accounts. Filippo Menczer 's group at Indiana University developed software in 2010 that detects astroturfing on Twitter by recognizing behavioral patterns. According to an article in the Journal of Consumer Policy , academics disagree on how prolific astroturfing is. According to Nancy Clark from Precision Communications, grass-roots specialists charge $ 25 to $ 75 for each constituent they convince to send

8636-437: The Internet made astroturfing more economical and prolific in the late 1990s. In 2001, as Microsoft was defending itself against an antitrust lawsuit, Americans for Technology Leadership (ATL), a group heavily funded by Microsoft, initiated a letter-writing campaign. ATL contacted constituents under the guise of conducting a poll and sent pro-Microsoft consumers form and sample letters to send to involved lawmakers. The effort

8763-485: The Middle East, and disrupt extremist propaganda and recruitment. The contract is thought to have been awarded as part of a program called Operation Earnest Voice , which was first developed as a psychological warfare weapon against the online presence of groups ranged against coalition forces. On April 11, 2022, seven weeks into the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , BBC published the results of investigation of

8890-646: The New York attorney general has done is, perhaps, to have given private lawyers a road map to file suit." An Al Jazeera TV series The Lobby documented Israel 's attempt to promote more friendly, pro-Israel rhetoric to influence the attitudes of British youth, partly through influencing already established political bodies, such as the National Union of Students and the Labour Party , but also by creating new pro-Israel groups whose affiliation with

9017-732: The U.S. Canadian growers and the Flax Council of Canada raised concerns about the marketability of this cultivar in Europe where a zero tolerance policy exists regarding unapproved genetically modified organisms . Consequently, Triffid was deregistered in 2010 and never grown commercially in Canada or the U.S. Triffid stores were destroyed, but future exports and further tests at the University of Saskatchewan proved that Triffid persisted in at least two Canadian flax varieties, possibly affecting future crops. Canadian flax seed cultivars were reconstituted with Triffid-free seed used to plant

9144-655: The US, Philip Morris , Burson-Marsteller and other tobacco interests created the National Smokers Alliance (NSA) in 1993. The NSA and other tobacco interests initiated an aggressive public relations campaign from 1994 to 1999 in an effort to exaggerate the appearance of grassroots support for smoker's rights. According to an article in the Journal of Health Communication , the NSA had mixed success at defeating bills that were damaging revenues of tobacco interests. Email, automated phone calls, form letters, and

9271-548: The activity of attending a conference automatically to make it more convincing that they are genuine. At HBGary , employees were given separate thumb drives that contain online accounts for individual identities and visual cues to remind the employee which identity they are using at the time. Mass letters may be printed on personalized stationery using different typefaces, colors and words to make them appear personal. According to an article in The New York Times ,

9398-612: The advertising industry in the UK has adopted many voluntary policies, such as the Code of Non-Broadcast Advertising, Sale, Promotion and Direct Marketing. A trade association, the Advertising Standards Authority , investigates complaints of breaches. The policy requires that marketing professionals not mislead their audience, including by omitting a disclosure of their material connection. In Australia , astroturfing

9525-415: The audience by use of so-called callbacks or call backs . The funny and bold comments are sometimes 'traditional', that is, developed over decades including downloadable 'audience participation' heckling scripts. Many callbacks are spontaneous, regional and develop into heckling fights amongst the audience members or with either professional musical actors or audience members who perform the show in front of

9652-490: The book Grassroots for Hire: Public Affairs Consultants in American Democracy, Edward Walker defines "astroturfing" as public participation that is perceived as heavily incented, as fraudulent (claims are attributed to those who did not make such statements), or as an elite campaign masquerading as a mass movement. Although not all campaigns by professional grassroots lobbying consultants meet this definition,

9779-434: The book finds that the elite-sponsored grassroots campaigns often fail when they are not transparent about their sources of sponsorship and/or fail to develop partnerships with constituencies that have an independent interest in the issue. Walker highlights the case of Working Families for Wal-Mart , in which the campaign's lack of transparency led to its demise. A study published in the Journal of Business Ethics examined

9906-493: The by-product of producing linseed oil from flax seeds, is used as livestock fodder . Flax seeds occur in brown and yellow (golden) varieties. Most types of these basic varieties have similar nutritional characteristics and equal numbers of short-chain omega-3 fatty acids . Yellow flax seeds, called solin ( trade name " Linola "), have a similar oil profile to brown flax seeds and both are very high in omega-3s ( alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), specifically). Flax seeds produce

10033-399: The city of West Plains expanding their broadband network, and advocated for the end of municipal broadband on the basis that it was too risky. Days later, Fidelity released a letter admitting to sponsoring the campaign. In 2009–2010, an Indiana University research study developed a software system to detect astroturfing on Twitter due to the sensitivity of the topic in the run up to

10160-521: The commercial Internet." Some organizations feel that their business is threatened by negative comments, so they may engage in astroturfing to drown them out. Online comments from astroturfing employees can also sway the discussion through the influence of groupthink . Some astroturfing operatives defend their practice. Regarding "movements that have organized aggressively to exaggerate their sway", author Ryan Sager said that this "isn't cheating. Doing everything in your power to get your people to show up

10287-405: The congressional election, and before those representatives accused of antisemitism had even been voted in. This website was later cited by Donald Trump as though it were an authentic movement. In January 2021, a team led by Mohsen Mosleh conducted a politically oriented astroturfing campaign on Twitter , using "a set of human-looking bot accounts"; each bot would search for users posting links

10414-479: The content is a sponsored advertisement. Additionally, it prohibits those with a material connection from misleading readers into thinking they are a regular consumer. The United Kingdom has the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations , which prohibits "Falsely representing oneself as a consumer." They allow for up to two years in prison and unlimited fines for breaches. Additionally,

10541-422: The country. The blog gave the appearance of being operated by spontaneous consumers, but was actually operated on behalf of Working Families for Walmart , a group funded by Wal-Mart . In 2007, Ask.com deployed an anti- Google advertising campaign portraying Google as an "information monopoly" that was damaging the Internet. The ad was designed to give the appearance of a popular movement and did not disclose it

10668-441: The danger of the medical condition. Manufacturers of AIDS drugs commonly fund LGBTQ organizations, which in turn, lobby to advance policies that increase AIDS drug sales. In 2019, the communications director of AIDS United, a Washington DC–based coalition of AIDS service organizations, resigned, stating such funding creates conflicts of interest among gay rights activists. In response to the passage of tobacco control legislation in

10795-430: The day's news while the others worked, to the accompaniment of interruptions and furious debate. Heckling was a major part of the vaudeville theater. Sometimes it was incorporated into the play. Milton Berle 's weekly TV variety series in the 1960s featured a heckler named Sidney Spritzer (German/ Yiddish for ' squirter ') played by Borscht Belt comic Irving Benson . In the 1970s and 1980s, The Muppet Show , which

10922-557: The difference between "popular sentiment" and "manufactured public opinion". According to an article in the Journal of Business Ethics , astroturfing threatens the legitimacy of genuine grassroots movements. The authors argued that astroturfing that is "purposefully designed to fulfill corporate agendas, manipulate public opinion and harm scientific research represents a serious lapse in ethical conduct." A 2011 report found that often paid posters from competing companies are attacking each other in forums and overwhelming regular participants in

11049-570: The editor from the site with different signatures on it. Similar campaigns were used by GeorgeWBush.com, and by MoveOn.org to promote Michael Moore 's film Fahrenheit 9/11 . The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget 's "Fix the Debt" campaign advocated to reduce government debt without disclosing that its members were lobbyists or high-ranking employees at corporations that aim to reduce federal spending. It also sent op-eds to various students that were published as-is. Some organizations in

11176-462: The effects of websites operated by front groups on students. It found that astroturfing was effective at creating uncertainty and lowering trust about claims, thereby changing perceptions that tend to favor the business interests behind the astroturfing effort. The New York Times reported that "consumer" reviews are more effective, because "they purport to be testimonials of real people, even though some are bought and sold just like everything else on

11303-401: The fiber. The stems are then pulled through "hackles", which act like combs to remove the straw and some shorter fibers out of the long fiber. Several methods are used for retting flax. It can be retted in a pond, stream, field, or tank. When the retting is complete, the bundles of flax feel soft and slimy, and quite a few fibers are standing out from the stalks. When wrapped around a finger,

11430-407: The field in the spring. Two ways are used to harvest flax fiber, one involving mechanized equipment (combines), and a second method, more manual and targeting maximum fiber length. Flax for fiber production is usually harvested by a specialized flax harvester. Usually built on the same machine base as a combine, but instead of the cutting head it has a flax puller. The flax plant is turned over and

11557-405: The field; this has led most sports stadiums to ban glass containers and bottlecaps. Another famous heckler is Robert Szasz , who regularly attends Tampa Bay Rays baseball games and is known for loudly heckling one opposing player per game or series. Former Yugoslav football star Dejan Savićević was involved in an infamous incident with a heckler in which during an interview, a man on the street

11684-402: The flax is the process of removing the straw from the fibers. Dressing consists of three steps: breaking, scutching, and heckling. The breaking breaks up the straw. Some of the straw is scraped from the fibers in the scutching process, and finally, the fiber is pulled through heckles to remove the last bits of straw. Breaking breaks up the straw into short segments. Scutching removes some of

11811-399: The flax straw is not harvested, typically, it is burned, since the stalks are quite tough and decompose slowly ( i.e. , not in a single season). Formed into windrows from the harvesting process, the straw often clogs up tillage and planting equipment. Flax straw that is not of sufficient quality for fiber uses can be baled to build shelters for farm animals, or sold as biofuel, or removed from

11938-590: The genus Linum are similar in appearance to L. usitatissimum , cultivated flax, including some that have similar blue flowers, and others with white, yellow, or red flowers. Some of these are perennial plants, unlike L. usitatissimum , which is an annual plant . Cultivated flax plants grow to 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) tall, with slender stems. The leaves are glaucous green, slender lanceolate , 20–40 mm long, and 3 mm broad. The flowers are 15–25 mm in diameter with five petals, which can be colored white, blue, yellow, and red depending on

12065-524: The heckler and snapped "Aw, shut up!" The audience immediately gave him a standing ovation. In 1992, then-Presidential candidate Bill Clinton was interrupted by Bob Rafsky , a member of the AIDS activism group ACT UP , who accused him of "dying of ambition to be president" during a rally. After becoming visibly agitated, Clinton took the microphone off the stand, pointed to the heckler and directly responded to him by saying, "[...] I have treated you and all of

12192-421: The heckler to confuse the heckler and win the audience over. Some comedians will get hecklers to repeat themselves to take away the momentum and laughter from the heckle. Phyllis Diller would have her light technician shine a spotlight on hecklers to make them feel intimidated. Magician Teller established his persona of never speaking while performing to minimize heckling. Bill Burr 's Philadelphia Incident

12319-602: The impression of widespread support for their client's agenda. Some studies suggest astroturfing can alter public viewpoints and create enough doubt to inhibit action. In the first systematic study of astroturfing in the United States, Oxford Professor Philip N. Howard argued that the internet was making it much easier for powerful lobbyists and political movements to activate small groups of aggrieved citizens to have an exaggerated importance in public policy debates. Astroturfed accounts on social media do not always require humans to write their posts; one January 2021 study detailed

12446-410: The inner woody part springs away from the fibers. Pond retting is the fastest. It consists of placing the flax in a pool of water which will not evaporate. It generally takes place in a shallow pool which will warm up dramatically in the sun; the process may take from a few days to a few weeks. Pond-retted flax is traditionally considered of lower quality, possibly because the product can become dirty, and

12573-417: The other people who have interrupted my rallies with a hell of a lot more respect than you treated me. And it's time to start thinking about that!" Clinton was then met with raucous applause. On 9 September 2009, Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) shouted "You lie!" at President Barack Obama after President Obama stated that his health care plan would not subsidize coverage for undocumented noncitizens during

12700-615: The performance or quality of a product. Employees of an organization may be considered acting as customers if their actions are not guided by authority within the company. In October 2018, after denying that they had paid for people to show up in support of a controversial power plant development project in New Orleans, Entergy was fined five million dollars for using astroturf firm The Hawthorn Group to provide actors to prevent real community members' voices from being counted at city council meetings and show false grassroots support. In

12827-539: The premises (see also, astroturfing ). The downside is this may make heckling incidents even more newsworthy. This happened to Tony Blair during a photo op visit to a hospital during the 2001 general election campaign, and again in 2003 during a speech. In 2004, American Vice President Dick Cheney was interrupted mid-speech by Perry Patterson, a middle-aged mother in a pre-screened rally audience. After various supportive outbursts that were permitted ("Four more years", "Go Bush!"), Patterson uttered "No, no, no, no" and

12954-405: The press conference. Nevertheless, emergency room physician Ben Marble got close enough to the proceedings and could be heard yelling, "Go fuck yourself, Mr. Cheney". Cheney laughed it off and continued speaking. The heckle was a reference to Cheney's use of the phrase the previous year, when during a heated exchange with Senator Patrick Joseph Leahy , Vermont, he said "fuck yourself" on the floor of

13081-536: The process. George Monbiot said that persona-management software supporting astroturfing "could destroy the Internet as a forum for constructive debate". An article in the Journal of Consumer Policy said that regulators and policy makers needed to be more aggressive about astroturfing. The author said that it undermines the public's ability to inform potential customers of sub-standard products or inappropriate business practices, but also noted that fake reviews were difficult to detect. Use of one or more front groups

13208-475: The remainder of the speech—this improvised portion of the speech is the best-known part of the speech and frequently rated as one of the best of all time. During a campaign stop just before winning the Presidency in 1980, Ronald Reagan was heckled by an audience member who kept interrupting him during a speech. Reagan tried to go on with his speech three times, but after being interrupted yet again glared at

13335-478: The researchers considered to be fake news , and "tweet a public reply message to the user's tweet that contained the link to the false story". 1,586 spam replies were made over the course of fourteen days, until Twitter detected and suspended all of the bot accounts. The Koch brothers started a public advocacy group to prevent the development of wind turbines offshore in Massachusetts. The Kennedy family

13462-441: The screen. The comedy TV series The Muppet Show featured a pair of hecklers named Statler and Waldorf . These characters created a kind of meta-comedy act in which the show's official comedian, Fozzie Bear , acted as their usual foil , although they occasionally made jokes at other characters as well. Another notable use of heckling in comedy is in the cult favorite series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . The series involves

13589-520: The senate. On 15 October 2005, The Scotsman reported "Iranian ambassador Dr Seyed Mohammed Hossein Adeli... speaking at the annual Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament conference... During his speech to the CND several people were told to leave the room following protests at Iran's human rights record. Several protesters shouted "Fascists" at the ambassador and the organisers of the conference. Walter Wolfgang ,

13716-566: The species. The fruit is a round, dry capsule 5–9 mm in diameter, containing several glossy brown seeds shaped like apple pips, 4–7 mm long. The earliest evidence of humans using wild flax as a textile comes from the present-day Republic of Georgia , where spun, dyed, and knotted wild flax fibers found in Dzudzuana Cave date to the Upper Paleolithic , 30,000 years ago. Humans first domesticated flax in

13843-399: The stalk. The first step in this process is retting , which is the process of rotting away the inner stalk, leaving the outer parts intact. At this point, straw, or coarse outer stem ( cortex and epidermis ), is still remaining. To remove this, the flax is "broken", the straw is broken up into small, short bits, while the actual fiber is left unharmed. Scutching scrapes the outer straw from

13970-630: The stands reserved for the press, began screaming in English and Chinese: "President Bush stop him. Stop this visit. Stop the killing and torture." President Bush later apologised to his guest. Medea Benjamin of Code Pink repeatedly interrupted a major speech by President Barack Obama regarding United States policy in the War on Terror at the National Defense University on 23 May 2013. Hecklers can also appear at sporting events, and usually (but not always) direct their taunts at

14097-547: The stem of the plant are two to three times as strong as cotton fibers. Additionally, flax fibers are naturally smooth and straight. Europe and North America both depended on flax for plant-based cloth until the 19th century, when cotton overtook flax as the most common plant for making rag-based paper . Flax is grown on the Canadian prairies for linseed oil, which is used as a drying oil in paints and varnishes and in products such as linoleum and printing inks . Linseed meal,

14224-401: The straw (stem) from the fiber, and one for further separating the broken straw and matter from the fiber. The second part of the process brings the flax into a state for the very finest purposes, such as lace , cambric , damask , and very fine linen . This second part is performed by a refining machine. Before the flax fibers can be spun into linen, they must be separated from the rest of

14351-400: The usable flax fibers from other components requires pulling the stems through a hackle and/or beating the plants to break them. Flax processing is divided into two parts: the first part is generally done by the farmer, to bring the flax fiber into a fit state for general or common purposes. This can be performed by three machines: one for threshing out the seed, one for breaking and separating

14478-518: The use of flax as an industrial fiber. Flax seeds are 7% water, 18% protein , 29% carbohydrates , and 42% fat (table). In 100 grams (3.5 oz) as a reference amount, flax seeds provide 534 kilocalories and contain high levels (20% or more of the Daily Value , DV) of protein, dietary fiber , several B vitamins , and dietary minerals . Flax seeds are especially rich in thiamine , magnesium , and phosphorus (DVs above 90%) (table). As

14605-458: The waters used for the process. In field retting, the flax is laid out in a large field, and dew is allowed to collect on it. This process normally takes a month or more, but is generally considered to provide the highest quality flax fibers, and it produces the least pollution. Retting can also be done in a plastic trash can or any type of water-tight container of wood, concrete, earthenware, or plastic. Metal containers will not work, as an acid

14732-545: The world's output. Since then, flax has lost its importance as a commercial crop , due to the easy availability of more durable fibres. Flax is grown for its seeds, which can be ground into a meal or turned into linseed oil , a product used as a nutritional supplement and as an ingredient in many wood-finishing products. Flax is also grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. Moreover, flax fibers are used to make linen . The specific epithet in its binomial name, usitatissimum, means "most useful". Flax fibers taken from

14859-422: Was also built around a vaudeville theme, featured two hecklers, Statler and Waldorf (two old men named after famous hotels). Heckles are now particularly likely to be heard at comedy performances, to unsettle or compete with the performer. Politicians speaking before live audiences have less latitude to deal with hecklers. In the early 1930s, before becoming Premier of Ontario , Mitchell Hepburn stood on top of

14986-524: Was also involved. Corporate efforts to mobilize the public against environmental regulation accelerated in the US following the election of president Barack Obama . In 2014, the Toronto Sun conservative media organization has published an article accusing Russia of using astroturf tactics to drum up anti- fracking sentiment across Europe and the West , supposedly in order to maintain dominance in oil exports through Ukraine . In Canada,

15113-512: Was captured on tape and the full concert was released as volume four of Dylan's Live Bootleg Series . In stand-up comedy , a heckler is what separates the medium from theatre; at any time during the show (either indirectly or directly), a heckler may interrupt a comedian's set. Hecklers want the stand-up to break the fourth wall . Most sources claim that heckling is uncommon. Heckling is more likely to occur at open stage performances and performances where alcoholic beverages are being consumed; it

15240-599: Was cultivated extensively in ancient Egypt , where the temple walls had paintings of flowering flax, and mummies were embalmed using linen. Egyptian priests wore only linen, as flax was considered a symbol of purity. Phoenicians traded Egyptian linen throughout the Mediterranean and the Romans used it for their sails . As the Roman Empire declined, so did flax production. But with laws designed to publicize

15367-535: Was designed to make it appear as though there was public support for a sympathetic ruling in the antitrust lawsuit. In January 2018, YouTube user Isaac Protiva uploaded a video alleging that internet service provider Fidelity Communications was behind an initiative called "Stop City-Funded Internet", based on how some images on the Stop City-Funded Internet website had "Fidelity" in their file names. The campaign appeared to be in response to

15494-701: Was discovered in Euonymeia , Greece. The best grades are used for fabrics such as damasks , lace , and sheeting . Coarser grades are used for the manufacturing of twine and rope , and historically, for canvas and webbing equipment . Flax fiber is a raw material used in the high-quality paper industry for the use of printed banknotes , laboratory paper ( blotting and filter ), rolling paper for cigarettes , and tea bags . Flax mills for spinning flaxen yarn were invented by John Kendrew and Thomas Porthouse of Darlington , England , in 1787. New methods of processing flax have led to renewed interest in

15621-423: Was first coined in 1985 by Texas Democratic Party senator Lloyd Bentsen when he said, "a fellow from Texas can tell the difference between grass roots and AstroTurf... this is generated mail." Bentsen was describing a "mountain of cards and letters" sent to his office to promote insurance industry interests. Patient advocacy groups funded by biopharmaceutical companies are common. In 1997, Schering Plough paid

15748-646: Was funded by a competitor. In 2010, the Federal Trade Commission settled a complaint with Reverb Communications, who was using interns to post favorable product reviews in Apple's iTunes store for clients. In September 2012, one of the first major identified cases of astroturfing in Finland involved criticisms about the cost of a €1.8 billion patient information system, which was defended by fake online identities operated by involved vendors. In September 2013, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced

15875-412: Was heard shouting off-camera: "You're a piece of shit!". Savićević berated the man, and went on to finish the interview, without missing a beat. In English and Scottish football , heckling and swearing from the stands, and football chants such as who ate all the pies? are common. Australian sporting audiences are known for creative heckling. Perhaps the most famous is Yabba who had a grandstand at

16002-604: Was performed in Camden, New Jersey, where he reprimanded an audience of over ten thousand people. Michael Richards became upset with hecklers and called them the N-word several times. When a female audience member claimed that rape jokes are never funny, Daniel Tosh allegedly made an off-the-cuff retort that it would be funny if she were to be immediately raped. Screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (as well as performances of The Rocky Horror Show ) are continuously heckled by

16129-469: Was removed from the speech area and told to leave. She refused, and was arrested for criminal trespass . Later, in 2005, Cheney received some heckling that was broadcast during his trip to New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city. The heckling occurred during a press conference in Gulfport , Mississippi, in an area that was cordoned off for public safety reasons, and then further secured for

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