Winning moments - The NWO is not un-opposed. [Archive] - The Project Avalon Community Forum

TargeT

21st April 2016, 15:43

It's very easy to focus on the negative, especially since that's what the MSM does & most humans naturally will listen to negative comments more than positive.

This can make it seem like things are much worse than they are...

I think we can find a lot of positive movements out there, a lot of "humanity" being brought back into this world.

We should share these, all hope is NOT lost!

For example:

Montage — The next generation of war reporting

An unemployed British finance worker and stay-at-home dad is an unlikely character to become one of the world’s experts on weapons and the Syrian conflict. But that’s precisely the story of Eliot Higgins, known online by the pseudonym “Brown Moses.”
In early 2012, Eliot began blogging about the Syrian Civil War, using YouTube videos to investigate information about specific attacks, allegations of chemical weapon use, and troop movements. He monitored hundreds of YouTube channels to find images of weapons or patterns in troop moments, which he used to report on the sources of arms in the Syrian conflict. Eliot’s work has been cited by dozens of mainstream news outlets, who describe him as a “pioneer” for using public, open-source data, to uncover what was happening on the ground in conflict zones from Syria to Crimea.
Eliot inspired us. It should be easier for individuals and organizations to analyze publicly available video and data to discover what’s happening in conflict zones. In the case of the Syrian conflict, there are more hours of footage online than there have been hours of actual conflict — five years and counting. Hidden in that footage are untold stories, evidence of war crimes, and human rights violations — information the world needs to know. How can journalists and human rights groups find the information they need to accurately report what’s happening?
That’s why we created Montage, a soon to be open-source tool that makes it easier for journalists and human rights organizations to report on conflicts around the world.
Montage allows users to search YouTube content based on location and time. People can search for videos of a specific event, tag those videos to identify people, places, or things, and collaboratively analyze that information to find out the truth behind the footage.
For the past year, The Carter Center, a nonprofit founded by former President Jimmy Carter to advance human rights, has been using Montage to analyze video footage from the Syrian conflict.
For example, The Carter Center’s excellent interactive map of the Syrian conflict uses data from Montage to track the evolution of the conflict, providing journalists and humanitarian first responders with crucial information in real time. The Center has also used Montage to produce maps that track the efficacy of Russian airstrikes, the resurgence of the Assad government, and ISIS troop movements. And that’s just the beginning of how Montage can be used.

https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/1*v9JgEJktnTe-5QpvdVm8Gg.gif
(stupid GIF won't post...)

Part of Jigsaw’s mission as an incubator is to find the best, long-term home for the products we develop so they can have the biggest impact possible. That’s why today we’re announcing the handover of Montage to Storyful, the leading organization for verifying social video for news and media. Storyful is the ideal partner to scale the work of Montage with the community, using video data to tell important stories and sharing those stories with the world.
Ever considered a second career as an investigative journalist? Try Montage today and tag your insights with #montage
https://medium.com/jigsaw/montage-the-next-generation-of-war-reporting-a04f4176aff#.2z84q9u6c

There are even pod casts and websites dedicated to items like this:

http://mediamonarchy.com/tag/good-news-next-week/

Know of any good news, any "wins" for we-the-people? SHARE THEM! :highfive:

TargeT

21st April 2016, 23:38

With all the GMO food, agressive vaccination programs and general C R A P eating habits that modern humans have today diseases like Alzheimer's are appearing in larger numbers than ever... But we aren't taking it laying down!

Another win!

New protein injection reverses Alzheimer’s symptoms in mice in just one week
Human trials are not far off.
http://www.sciencealert.com/images/articles/processed/mouse-model-alzheimers_1024.jpg
Researchers have discovered that an injection of a protein called IL-33 can reverse Alzheimer's-like symptoms and cognitive decline in mice, restoring their memory and cognitive function to the same levels as healthy mice in the space of one week.

Mice bred to develop a progressive Alzheimer's-like disease as they aged (called APP/PS1 mice) were given daily injections of the protein, and it appeared to not only clear out the toxic amyloid plaques that are thought to trigger Alzheimer’s in humans, it also prevented more from forming.‌‌"IL-33 is a protein produced by various cell types in the body and is particularly abundant in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)," says lead researcher, Eddy Liew from the University of Glasgow in the UK. "We found that injection of IL-33 into aged APP/PS1 mice rapidly improved their memory and cognitive function to that of the age-matched normal mice within a week."

Before we go any further, we should make it clear that these results are restricted to mice only, and at this stage, we have no idea if they will translate at all in humans with Alzheimer’s.

And the odds aren’t great - one study put successful translation of positive results in mice to humans at a rate of about 8 percent, so we can never get too excited until we see how things fare in human trials.

But when it comes to a disease with no known cure that’s expected to affect 65 million people by 2030, any new development is worth a look at, and the team behind the discovery reports "encouraging hints" that certain aspects of this study could translate to human Alzheimer's patients.

In humans, Alzheimer’s disease usually results from a build-up of two types of lesions in the brain - amyloid plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles.

Amyloid plaques sit between the neurons and form dense clusters of a sticky type of protein called beta-amyloid.

Neurofibrillary tangles are found inside the neurons, caused by defective tau proteins that clump up into a thick, insoluble mass. This causes tiny filaments called microtubules to get twisted, which disrupts the transportation of essential nutrients around the brain.

Right now, no one knows why certain people experience a build-up of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain as they age, and others don’t, but scientists are confident that if we can figure out how to clear them out and stop them forming, we can effectively treat the disease.Working with mice, Liew and his team discovered that IL-33 appears to kickstart immune cells in the brain called microglia, directing them towards the toxic amyloid plaques.

Once the plaques were on their radar, the microglia aggressively targeted and absorbed them with the help of an enzyme called neprilysin, which is known to break down soluble amyloid.

This process was found to reduce the size and number of amyloid plaques in mice with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.

Not only that, but the IL-33 injections also prevented inflammation in the brain tissue, which previous studies have linked to the proliferation of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.

"Therefore IL-33 not only helps to clear the amyloid plaque already formed, but also prevent the deposition of the plaques and tangles in the first place," the Glasgow team reports.

So it's good news for APP/PS1 mice everywhere, and a very interesting result for researchers around the world who are hell-bent on finding a cure or treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Liew remains cautiously optimistic:

"The relevance of this finding to human Alzheimer’s is at present unclear. But there are encouraging hints. For example, previous genetic studies have shown an association between IL-33 mutations and Alzheimer’s disease in European and Chinese populations. Furthermore, the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s disease contains less IL-33 than the brain from non-Alzheimer’s patients."

He adds that, "There have been enough false 'breakthroughs' in the medical field to caution us not to hold our breath until rigorous clinical trials have been done," but says they’re just about to enter a Phase 1 clinical trial with human patients to test the toxicity of IL-33 at the doses used in mice.

We’re ready and waiting for those results.
http://www.sciencealert.com/new-protein-injection-reverses-alzheimer-s-symptoms-in-mice-in-just-one-week

TargeT

21st April 2016, 23:41

Free speech spreads! (even if only a little)

Dutch to scrap ban on insulting foreign heads of state
http://www.dutchnews.nl/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Ard-van-der-Steur.png
The Netherlands is to abolish the law making it a criminal offence to insult a foreign heads of state, justice minister Ard van der Steur told parliament on Wednesday. Earlier this week, MPs from the two Dutch liberal parties VVD and D66 called on the government to scrap the law, following Turkey’s attempt to prosecute a German comedian. Similar legislation in Germany is being used by Turkey to prosecute Jan Böhmermann, a comedian who read out an offensive poem about the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on television. The minister said he is looking into whether the proposal can be given priority from the government’s standpoint. However, Van der Steur said he does not plan to remove the ban on insulting the Dutch monarch, as called for by D66. War criminal The last time the law was used in the Netherlands dates back to 1968 when writer Geert Mak, who then worked on a student newspaper, was fined 200 guilders for comparing US president Lyndon Johnson to a war criminal, broadcaster Nos says. Meanwhile Dutch comedian Hans Teeuwen appeared on RTL news defending Jan Böhmermann and issuing his own tirade of sexual allegations against Erdogan. Insulting the head of a friendly state carries a maximum two-year jail sentence.

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2016/04/dutch-to-scrap-ban-on-insulting-foreign-heads-of-state/

TargeT

22nd April 2016, 15:37

Humanity despite bureaucracy.

Michigan Cop Buys Car Seat for Girl After Pulling Over Her Father

A Michigan father wants people to know "there are still real-life superheroes in this world" after a police officer's random act of kindness recently brought him to tears.

LaVonte Dell told ABC News today he was driving in Westland, Michigan, this past Monday afternoon when he "suddenly saw the red and blue lights" behind car. The 28-year-old dad said his "heart dropped to his stomach" and that he was "so sure" he was going to get a costly ticket because of his vehicle's tinted windows.

But what happened next "completely surprised me," Dell said.

"The officer told me why he pulled me over, which I had predicted, and then he also noticed my 3-year-old in the back wasn't in a car seat," Dell said. "He asked me to step out of my vehicle to talk to him, and I was just so scared thinking this couldn't be good."
http://a.abcnews.go.com/images/US/WXYZ_lavonte_dell_cf_160421_4x3_992.jpg
But rather than issuing him a ticket, Dell said the cop -- whom he later learned was Officer Joshua Scaglione with the City of Westland Police Department -- took the time to listen to his story and then made "a generous offer."

"The dad teared up a little and explained how he didn't have the money to afford a car seat right now and that he had been running into some tough times," Scaglione told ABC News today. "So I said, 'Hey, could you follow me to Walmart?' and he was a little shocked and asked me, 'For what?' I told him I'd be more than happy to buy the car seat for him."

Dell said "he still couldn't believe it" when the two of them were shopping around in Walmart and getting to know each other better.

"He purchased one for me, and it was pink, which is my daughter's favorite color," Dell said. "It has butterflies and she loves it."
http://a.abcnews.go.com/images/US/WXYZ_cop_joshua_saglione_cf_160421_4x3_992.jpg
Though Dell didn't catch Scaglione's name or number before parting ways, he was reunited with the officer on Wednesday after his Facebook post about the incident went viral in the area.

Dell said he hopes that people who hear his story "learn to never judge a book by its cover" and "realize there are still good people out there going above and beyond to protect you and make sure you're still alright."

Scaglione said he was just doing his job and asks anyone uplifted by the story "to just pay it forward."

"You know, a ticket doesn't help all the time," the officer said. "I've been in a tough situation like this guy before. I figured it'd be better to help him out and just raise more awareness about car safety rather than give him a ticket that would dig him deeper in a hole and make things worse for him.

:clapping:

:clapping:

:clapping:

Shannon

22nd April 2016, 16:18

bluestflame

22nd April 2016, 18:21

REALLY , thanks for this thread TargeT , I , as i supect many others, have been too focused on ALL the shiddy things happening in the world and got a bit caught up in it , thanks for the reminder there's SO much good things happening

TargeT

22nd April 2016, 18:24

I personally think the whole "Zika" thing was BS... HOWEVER, this is a great outcome from the "scare"... I'm going to look into building something for my neighborhood.

Billboard mimics human sweat to entrap Zika-carrying mosquitoes *(this breed also carries Dengue and Malaria - TargeT)*
The ad agencies that built it released its blueprint to the public.
http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/3eb829f67f65f8cf5d3c898e20a8ea6e/203725354/billboard-zika-ed.jpg
A couple of ad agencies in Brazil installed two special billboards in Rio de Janeiro, which don't endorse any kind of good or service. Instead, these billboards were designed to lure and kill Zika-carrying mosquitoes. They attract any Aedes aegypti up to 2.5 miles away by emitting a solution containing lactic acid and carbon dioxide that mimic human sweat and breath, respectively. Once the mosquitoes flock to the billboards, they get sucked inside the glass panel, where they're trapped until they die.

The agencies, Posterscope and NBS, released the installation's technical blueprint online and are encouraging other companies and cities to build their own. It costs around $192 to make one of these billboards. Dr. Chris Jackson, a pest control expert from the University of Southampton, told the BBC that anything that can reduce the prevalence of Zika-carrying mosquitoes is a good thing. The Zika virus continues to threaten the health of pregnant women and their babies in Brazil, after all -- the CDC even confirmed that it causes severe birth defects, including microcephaly. He warns, however, that these types of installations might be more suitable for low-density locations. "[O]therwise," he said, "you're pulling in hungry mosquitoes and providing them with exposed human flesh."
79uqMKUoIjE
http://www.engadget.com/2016/04/21/billboard-kills-zika-carrying-mosquitoes/

Blue prints for free here:
http://cargocollective.com/mosquitokiller/English

TargeT

22nd April 2016, 19:02

Stem cell therapy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem-cell_therapy) has been shown to cure.... EVERYTHING!?!

But stemcells them selves were hard to source ethically.

Untill....

Researchers identify key factor for reprogramming adult cells into stem cells
April 21, 2016
http://cdn.phys.org/newman/csz/news/800/2014/11-researchersf.jpg
In a new Cell Reports paper, a team led by John P. Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., of the Houston Methodist Research Institute, has identified and characterized a biological factor critical to the transformation of adult somatic cells (cells that are not sperm or egg cells) into stem cells.
"Think about the cartoon Transformers, where trucks and cars change into robots. We're manipulating genes in the cell nucleus to produce specific proteins, changing the normal recipe for growth and maturation, and transforming adult cells into a new type of cell with the ability to morph into any other cell type," said Cooke, senior author and chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences.
Called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), these cells can be differentiated into any somatic cell type, making them a potentially valuable weapon against numerous diseases. Cooke and his colleagues discovered that reactive oxygen species (ROS, also known as oxygen-derived free radicals), play a critical role in nuclear reprogramming. Using a variety of methods to induce somatic cells to become iPSCs, the researchers first found that in the early stages of reprogramming, the transformation was consistently accompanied by an increase in ROS generation.
"When we used genetic tools to knock out the enzymes controlling ROS generation, or we tied up any generated ROS with antioxidants, we observed a marked reduction in iPSC colony formation," said Cooke. "Conversely, the overproduction of ROS impaired stem cell formation, meaning that optimal iPSC production occurs within a 'Goldilock's zone' of free radical generation—too little or too much and reprogramming shuts down."
Finally, the researchers discovered that ROS generation subsided as the iPSCs matured, and these mature stem cell colonies survive best in a cellular environment with low levels of ROS. This work is an extension of a 2012 paper in the journal Cell, where Cooke showed that the viruses used to deliver the reprogramming genes were more than just vehicles.
"What we learned is that the viral vectors played a role in reprogramming. Their activation of innate immune signaling caused epigenetic changes that were absolutely necessary for the transformation of somatic cells into iPSCs," explained Cooke, who holds the Joseph C. "Rusty" Walter and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Disease Research.
Innate immune signaling is known to stimulate ROS production, which participates in cell defense. Cooke said the team is developing methods to manipulate innate immune signaling of ROS to maximize the production of iPSCs and better direct their differentiation.
A better understand of the mechanism by which somatic cells are reprogrammed into pluripotent cells is critical to ongoing work to understand and to treat disease. For example, one can take skin cells come from people with Alzheimer's, revert them to iPSCs, and then differentiate them to neurons so that scientists can study that individual's brain cells. Thus, iPSCs are useful in understanding different disease processes and might also be used to develop regenerative therapies.
http://phys.org/news/2016-04-key-factor-reprogramming-adult-cells.html#jCp

Life will change dramatically in the next 5-10 years.... all this stuff is coming on so fast!

TargeT

23rd April 2016, 12:13

All science, especially publically funded projects should post their data like this.. you never know when a fresh set of eyes will discover something amazing & the more availble stuff like this is the better.

Good job CERN, did something right...

CERN releases 300TB of Large Hadron Collider data into open access

https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/lhc_data_at_your_fingertips.jpg?w=738

Cancel your plans for this weekend! CERN just dropped 300 terabytes of hot collider data on the world and you know you want to take a look.

Kati Lassila-Perini, a physicist who works on the Compact Muon Solenoid (!) detector, gave a refreshingly straightforward explanation for this huge release.

“Once we’ve exhausted our exploration of the data, we see no reason not to make them available publicly,” she said in a news release accompanying the data. “The benefits are numerous, from inspiring high school students to the training of the particle physicists of tomorrow. And personally, as CMS’s data preservation coordinator, this is a crucial part of ensuring the long-term availability of our research data.”

Amazing that this perspective is not more widely held — though I suspect it is, by the scientists at least, if not the publishers and department heads who must think of the bottom line.

The data itself is from 2011, much of it from protons colliding at 7 TeV (teraelectronvolts, you know) and producing those wonderful fountains of rare particles we all love to fail to understand. All told, it’s about half the total data collected by the CMS detector, and makes up about 2.5 inverse femtobarns. But who’s counting?
https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/cmsgiffy.gif?w=754&h=373
There’s both the raw data from the detectors (so you can verify the results) and also “derived” datasets that are more easy to work with — and don’t worry, CERN is providing the tools to do so, as well. There’s a whole CERN Linux environment ready for booting up in a virtual machine, and a bunch of scripts and apps (some are on GitHub, too).

Just messing around in the same computing environment used by researchers plumbing the depths of the universe would be an interesting way to spend a few labs in a college physics course. There are even “masterclasses,” data sets and tools specially curated for high school kids.

This is only the latest of several data dumps, but it’s also by far the largest. A more detailed explanation of the types of data and how they can be accessed is right here (http://opendata.cern.ch/about/CMS).

http://techcrunch.com/2016/04/22/cern-releases-300tb-of-large-hadron-collider-data-into-open-access/

TargeT

14th December 2016, 13:54

I'm obviously a terrible thread curator.

This is a great story... the oppressed will only allow it for so long, too bad these types of "push back" don't happen more often.

Tired of abductions, Mexican townsfolk kidnap drug boss' mom
MEXICO CITY – In one of the stranger chapters of Mexico’s drug war, angry people in a southern town kidnapped the mother of a gang leader to demand the release of their loved ones.

The government of Guerrero state said Tuesday that it was sending about 220 soldiers and police to try to defuse the situation in Totolapan.

The town has been controlled for years by a drug gang boss whose proper name is Raybel Jacobo de Almonte, but who is better known as “El Tequilero.”

De Alamonte has lived up to his nickname, which translates roughly as “The Tequila Drinker.” In his only known public appearance, he was captured on video drinking with the town’s mayor-elect. De Alamonte mumbles inaudibly and has to be held up in a sitting position by one of his henchmen.

In recent months, his gang – also known as the Tequileros – has been fighting turf battles with other gangs in the area. Last week, the Tequileros allegedly kidnapped several inhabitants of Totolapan who they wanted to extort or whom they suspected of supporting a rival.

In response, a few dozen men appeared this week in the streets of Totolapan waving shotguns and hunting rifles. In a video, the men carry banners calling for action against El Tequilero and identify themselves as a “self-defense” force, as vigilantes are known in the region.

“We urgently demand the release of the kidnap victims,” a masked man says in a statement read on the video. “We are a legitimate self-defense force of the people.”

Among the Tequileros’ kidnap victims was a local construction engineer, Isauro de Paz Duque, who was snatched on Sunday by men who had threatened to kill him.

On Monday, a woman who identified herself as De Paz Duque’s wife said on a video that townspeople had El Tequilero’s mother and would exchange the woman for her husband.

“We have your mother here, Mr. Tequilero,” she said. “I propose an exchange: I’ll give you your mother if you give me my husband, but I want him safe and sound.”

The state government said in a statement that a negotiating team had been sent to establish contact with the family of the missing engineer and the vigilantes and to set up a search team.

“The goal of the team is to ensure that no injury is done to the missing person, nor to the mother of the head of the Tequileros gang, who has apparently been taken by the self-defense forces,” the statement said.

The government later confirmed that about five of the two dozen people being held by the vigilantes had been freed, but those freed did not include the gang boss’ mother.

In late November, the Guerrero government said El Tequilero was believed to have been wounded and was hiding out with his kidnap victims in the mountains. The state attorney general headed an extensive manhunt using helicopters and troops on the ground in an unsuccessful effort to locate the gang leader.

The area is a hotbed of drug trafficking, killings and extortion. It is the foot of the mountains that produce much of Mexico’s opium poppy crop.

Totolapan is considered so dangerous that many outlying hamlets in the township have been abandoned by fearful residents. In 2014, the battered body of the parish priest, the Rev. Ascension Acuna Osorio, was found floating in the Balsas river near the town.

The emergence of vigilante groups, also known as self-styled “community police,” has become a headache for Guerrero’s government. Authorities say they understand residents’ frustration but note the groups often wind up kidnapping suspects, fighting among themselves or preventing police from doing their work.

“The truth is, they are not really community forces, nor are they police,” Gov. Hector Astudillo said. “They are armed groups that unfortunately carry out acts … that generate more violence and confrontation, rather than help.”
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mother-738305-gang-tequilero.html

sunwings

15th December 2016, 13:50

Indiana town's entire police force quits

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/fox59/2016/12/14/indiana-towns-entire-police-force-quits/95415740/

TargeT

15th December 2016, 13:59

I hope to be able to do this one day... right now I couldn't even skip 1 paycheck.. hahaha

Boys & Girls Club CEO gives back salary

Boys & Girls Club of the Monroe Area CEO Dr. Anthony Tricoli will forego drawing an annual salary from the Boys & Girls Club in an effort to help children attend the club and provide bonuses to the staff.

Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors Chairman Paul Willson has confirmed Tricoli’s decision to give back his salary.

“I think that this is just another great example of Dr. Tricoli’s dedication to our Boys & Girls Club,” Willson told The Advocate & Democrat. “He has always looked to add value to our club, our community, and, most importantly, Monroe County’s children, and this is just another great example of his dedication to serving all those.”

Tricoli said that he will begin giving up his salary at the end of this month.

He recently informed the Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors of his desire to give up his pay.

“It’s not that I don’t need the money; believe me, I need it,” Tricoli said. “But there are others right now who I know need it more than I do. This is my way of helping those in our club who are in need of some assistance just like my family was when I was a kid. Plus, I want assure that our staff members are properly thanked for their work.”
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/advocateanddemocrat.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/43/f4386c8d-4f44-58bf-8a18-f00c3a4d7e82/58504c4042789.image.jpg?resize=300%2C244
Fundraising for the Boys & Girls Club has been a tough proposition in recent years.

“We know that Monroe County has more non-profit organizations than most communities our size, and those non-profit organizations’ numbers are growing each year here in our county, so the competition for funds is greater now than it has ever been,” Tricoli said in a letter to the Board of Directors. “A year ago, we all worked very hard together (board and staff) to reduce the club’s expenditures and budget by approximately 25 percent.

“At that time, our full-time staff took a 10 percent reduction in their salary, and I took a self-imposed 33 percent salary reduction in order to help some children (families) who do not have the money to pay the fees to attend our club, and to provide the board with some non-discretionary funds to reward our hard working staff with periodic bonuses that frankly, I believe they deserve.”

Tricoli told the board in the letter how much an organization like the Boys & Girls Club means to him on a personal level.

“This organization means a lot to me, especially because of the very similar opportunity I had when I was a child,” he wrote. “You may have already heard this story, so I apologize to those of you who have. But, as a young boy, every day after school and on the weekends I hopped on my stingray bicycle and rode to the Boy’s Club in Fullerton (California). That was for about six years when I was growing up. Then my father fell ill and things changed for my family and me. Nonetheless, I have never forgotten the opportunities the Boys Club provided to me in the way of teaching me how to swim, how to safely use power tools in the workshop, and how to improve my study habits (I also got knocked out twice in the boxing ring — that’s probably why I set my sights on a desk job). For me, the Club was a safe haven, the place where all of the worries I had went away, it was the place where I could just be a kid. ”

Tricoli says it has been exciting for him to see the difference the Boys & Girls Club of the Monroe Area makes in the lives of children.

“In the last four years, I have seen how happy the children are as they fly through the doors of our club every day after school, he said. “They can hardly wait to get inside and see what our staff members have prepared for them in the way of fun and games, or homework help, or art, or leadership opportunity.”
http://www.advocateanddemocrat.com/news/article_71003352-7a93-5dac-89e2-fcbb7bd4ce56.html

LOTS of good out there, you just have to look a bit harder (for some reason we like the "bad" more)

https://i.sli.mg/WmfcX7.jpg

greybeard

15th December 2016, 14:08

Good is so prevalent and normal--the bad gets noticed because it stands out as not normal.

Chris

TargeT

15th December 2016, 14:30

Good is so prevalent and normal--the bad gets noticed because it stands out as not normal.

Chris

I'm sure it's strongly tied to survival as well, we don't need to focus on the good, the good wont kill us... haha but now that we live such safe lives, those same instincts are going a bit haywire...

'The right thing to do': After 89-year-old woman is evicted, neighbor buys back her home

When a Florida woman was evicted from the house she had lived in for decades, neighbors rallied to help, including one who gave her the ultimate gift: she bought back the house.

Angie Tyma moved back into her longtime home in Hudson, Florida, last Tuesday, which happened to be her 89th birthday, after three weeks of staying at a Days Inn hotel. She told TODAY that losing the house was a scary time, but she was glad to be home.

"I went through hell and back," she said. "I've lived in this house for 35 years." Tyma was evicted last month after learning the person she had sold the house to several years earlier, who lives in Europe, had stopped paying the mortgage, and the house went into foreclosure. Despite a warning, Tyma, whose husband died nearly 20 years ago, didn't think she would be tossed onto the streets. "They threw me out," she said. "I couldn't believe it."

Once the neighborhood saw Tyma’s belongings being taken out of the house, they jumped to help. But it was Danielle Calder, who lives a few houses away, who made the decision to buy back the house.

She contacted the company that had purchased it at auction and bought it back for $167,500. Now she’s Tyma’s new landlord.

"Quite honestly, I didn't need another house," Calder, 65, told TODAY. "But I needed her. I couldn't see her living in a motel room... she's been here so long. Everyone looks out for her." alder, who splits her time between Massachusetts and Florida, described Tyma as "the fabric of the neighborhood." Hudson is on Florida's west coast, about an hour north of Tampa. "Everybody knows Angie," she said. "She has two little dogs that she walks. She's an elderly woman, but she's pretty feisty, and she has lots of energy."

Tyma, who now pays rent to Calder (they declined to disclose the amount), said returning home was her best birthday present yet.

"Usually one of my neighbors bakes me a cake every year, but this time, when I got out of the car, and saw all these people, and the media... I was in a state of shock," she said. "I was speechless. I couldn't even talk."
"I never expected I would make the front page!" she said.

Now Tyma's in the process of making her house a home again.

“I’m unpacking all the boxes. I had a lot of stuff that was broken,” she said. “I’m cleaning.” She added that she's grateful for Calder, whom she called a "very good friend and a good neighbor."

As for Calder, she just wanted to help.

"It was the right thing to do," she said. “We’re family — the whole neighborhood.”
http://www.today.com/kindness/florida-woman-buys-back-house-after-neighbor-89-evicted-t105755

conk

15th December 2016, 18:06

Good is so prevalent and normal--the bad gets noticed because it stands out as not normal.

Chris
And because the media perpetuate the negative stories to keep the fear agenda perking.

TargeT

15th December 2016, 18:17

Good is so prevalent and normal--the bad gets noticed because it stands out as not normal.

Chris
And because the media perpetuate the negative stories to keep the fear agenda perking.

Fear.. the #1 human motivator that works on the lowest, most basic level of our brains....

But when Fear is baseless & not just for our immediate survival:
kFnFr-DOPf8

http://data.whicdn.com/images/213451376/large.jpg
(there's some good lessons in our entertainment, at times)

Here's some great news, especially in light of this:
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-10-29-1446140361-3113778-alzquickfacts.gif

Dementia will soon be controlled just like HIV, says research institute
https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/story_large/public/thumbnails/image/2016/08/22/12/dementia-amalia-2.jpg
Alzheimer's may in some cases be as manageable as HIV/Aids by 2025, the head of Britain's new Dementia Research Institute (DRI) predicts.

Professor Bart De Strooper said he hoped to see a time in the near future when the condition could be stabilised even if it proved impossible to cure.

There is even a chance that the brain could re-wire itself and restore lost mental ability once progress of the disease has been halted, he believes.Speaking after the announcement of his appointment as director of the £250 million UK DRI, the world-renowned Belgian neuroscientist told the Press Association: “We won't be celebrating in 2025 that dementia is cured, but I hope that by then there will be groups of patients who can be treated in much the same way HIV-Aids is treated today.

“I believe it will happen. I'm very optimistic - the brain is the most plastic organ we have. If you could stabilise the disease at an early stage it might be possible to regain part of the function that seems to be lost.”Prof De Strooper, who is putting together a multi-disciplinary team of doctors, biologists, engineers and data specialists working from centres across the UK, said he hoped to see “real surprises”.

He added: “I'm a scientist so I don't look into crystal balls but I would put a lot of money on saying that the next generation will have a completely different view of dementia disorders.

“In just the same way Aids in the 1970s and 80s was seen as a terrible doom or punishment of the gods, but is now manageable and treatable. Cancer has gone through a similar process - the way we look at cancer today is quite different from what it was a generation ago.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/dementia-alzheimers-controlled-hiv-research-institute-health-a7473256.html

conk

15th December 2016, 18:19

Yoda as spiritual master! Love it.

You've seen it before, but it's so true. FEAR: False Energy Appearing Real

TargeT

16th December 2016, 14:47

Japan and Russia agree to joint economic use of the Kiril Islands, discuss finally signing a peace treaty to end World War 2!

Putin, Abe agree on joint Russia-Japan activities on Kuril Islands
Vladimir Putin and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe have worked out a statement on the prospects of joint Russian-Japanese economic activities in the South Kuril Islands as the Russian leader arrived in Japan for what’s seen as a breakthrough visit. The two leaders dedicated 40 minutes from their three-hour talks in Abe’s ancestral hometown of Nagato, a mountainside resort in southwest Japan, on Thursday. The time was spent to develop an agreement on joint activities on the Kuril Islands “that would be suitable to both parties,” Yury Ushakov, the Kremlin aide, told reporters.

Putin and Abe had to discuss the issue one-on-one after Russian and Japanese experts failed to agree on the wording of the statement, he added.

According to Ushakov, the statement on joint Russian-Japanese economic activities in the South Kuril Islands, which may concern fisheries, tourism, culture and medicine, will be published tomorrow.

Abe told reporters the leaders “thoroughly and frankly discussed the issues of free access to their homeland by former residents of the islands, joint economic activities between the two countries with a special economic zone on the islands, as well as the issue of a peace treaty."

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov later stressed that the Japanese side had no objections to working in the framework of Russian law in the Kurils.

“The issue of sovereignty [of the South Kuril Islands] wasn’t raised in any way. It’s not up for discussion here,” Peskov said.

Tokyo’s claims on Russia’s Southern Kuril Islands of Kunashir, Shikotan, Habomai and Iturup, which Japan calls "the Northern Territories," is one of the reasons for frosty relations between Russia and Japan. The two countries still haven’t signed a peace treaty after World War II because of the lingering territorial dispute.
Putin and Abe also agreed to restore military cooperation between the two countries as well as ties in the spheres “frozen” in recent years, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday.

It was agreed to resume “2+2” ministerial talks, which would involve meetings between foreign ministers and defense ministers of both nations, he explained.

According to Lavrov, the Japanese side has become more aware of Russia’s worries over US global missile defense system and its increased presence in the Asia-Pacific region, which Moscow views as “inadequate to the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.”“Naturally, they [Putin and Abe] exchanged views on the Syrian settlement and situation in Ukraine….. Here our positions almost coincide," he added.
Putin offered Fugu fish , invited to Nagato hot springs

The first day of Putin’s visit concluded with a traditional "Kaiseku" meal, which reportedly included Fugu, a Japanese delicacy prepared from the poisonous puffer fish that requires the chef to have a special license for cooking.

To celebrate Putin’s visit to the Island – his last trip was 11 years ago - local schools in reportedly served borsch and pirogi, which are common in Russian cuisine.

After the dinner, the two leaders were expected to visit a hot springs resort in Nagato. Abe invited Putin to take a dip in the onsen, a traditional steaming bath.

"When you take a bath in the springs, all the fatigue just goes away," he told the Russian leader. In response Putin said: “As interesting as that sounds, it's better not to get too tired."

The day was concluded with stargazing at a local observatory.The two also exchanged memorable gifts, with Putin presenting Abe with a vintage "samovar," a traditional Russian coal-fueled tea maker, produced in Tula in 1870. Another present was a painting by contemporary Russian artist Igor Razzhivin, entitled "A Russian Troika in Kolomenskoye Village."

Abe responded with a very symbolic gift, which was a high-tech replica of the painting called "The Arrival of Putyatin." Russian Admiral Yevfimy Putyatin and Japanese official Toshikara Kawazi signed the Japanese-Russian treaty of friendship and established diplomatic relations back in 1855.

The second day of Putin’s visit will see the Russian leader travelling to Tokyo for the continuation of talks on Friday. The negotiations are expected to end with agreements on closer economic and cultural cooperation, while there is little expectation of a breakthrough on the territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands.
https://www.rt.com/news/370452-putin-visits-japan-talks/

Cara

17th December 2016, 05:36

Japan and Russia agree to joint economic use of the Kiril Islands, discuss finally signing a peace treaty to end World War 2!

Thanks for the details on this, @Target.

Joseph P. Farrell's latest weekly News and Views from the Nefarium (https://gizadeathstar.com/2016/12/news-views-nefarium-dec-15-2016/) is on this topic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeepShBdPs0

Well...it's finally happening... Vladimir Putin has become the first Russian head of state to visit Japan. But there's something lurking between the lines of this article:

'Onsen summit': Vladimir Putin meets with Japan's Shinzo Abe to 'heal rifts' (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-15/vladimir-putin-meeting-with-japan's-shinzo-abe-to-'heal-rifts'/8124436)

dim

17th December 2016, 08:11

I've seen plenty of similar initiatives around the world lately.

Agrihood (http://countercurrentnews.com/2016/12/first-urban-agrihood-america-feeds-2000-households-free/)

First Urban ‘Agrihood’ In America Feeds 2,000 Households For Free

http://trueactivist.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Michigan-Urban-Farming-Initiative-Garden-1020x610.jpg

As a matter of fact, enough food is produced around the world to feed 10 billion people. However, because 70% of the mono crops which are grown are feed livestock intended for slaughter, a distribution problem exists

TargeT

8th January 2017, 20:25

I don't know for sure that Cancer is an intentional affliction.. but it looks like we are winning on that front also.

Cancer Facts and Figures: Death Rate Down 25% Since 1991
The death rate from cancer in the US has declined steadily over the past 2 decades, according to annual statistics reporting from the American Cancer Society. The cancer death rate for men and women combined fell 25% from its peak in 1991 to 2014, the most recent year for which data are available. This decline translates to more than 2.1 million deaths averted during this time period.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/news/news/cancer-facts-and-figures-death-rate-down-25-since-1991

TargeT

10th January 2017, 03:49

:)
https://i.redd.it/plviyyabfo8y.png

TargeT

27th April 2017, 16:09

Plastic-eating caterpillars could help get rid of the world’s waste

https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Y6nYeInZ6Rnrts0PJOpCeFailgk=/0x0:720x540/920x613/filters:focal(303x213:417x327)/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54455269/138345_web.0.jpg
If scientists can find the enzymes in the caterpillar’s digestive tracts that’s doing the eating

Plastic is fantastic. It’s cheap, durable, and doesn’t react to the usual organisms that break down organic matter. This has made it incredibly useful for the packaging industry, but has also led to mountains of waste, like the trillion plastic bags dumped in landfills annually. Now, though, the fight against plastic might have an unexpected ally: a type caterpillar called the wax worm that loves to chow down on plastic bags.
The discovery of the wax worm’s previously unknown diet was made accidentally by Spanish researcher, Federica Bertocchini. Bertocchini is a part-time beekeeper, and is used to removing wax worms from her hives, where the caterpillars like to munch on the beeswax inside. After leaving a recently evicted troupe of wax worms in a plastic bag one day, Bertocchini found that the critters had munched their way to freedom.
http://www.theverge.com/2017/4/26/15432612/plastic-eating-caterpillars-biodegrade-polyethylene-bags

It's funny how often these "discoveries" are completely accidental.

TargeT

27th April 2017, 19:15

Hmm... Hopefully this is what it seems to be. Anyone that fits the title "billionaire" has to earn my trust....

Billionaire Paul Allen pledges $30M toward permanent housing for Seattle’s homeless
http://static.seattletimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/ccaf1dc2-0510-11e7-a621-509d6ee6d54e-640x473.jpg
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said the city will contribute an additional $5 million toward the complex, to be operated by the nonprofit Mercy Housing Northwest. A site has not yet been found.

Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist Paul Allen will donate $30 million toward a permanent housing facility for as many as 100 low-income and homeless families in Seattle.
The donation will help cover design and construction, and Mayor Ed Murray announced Wednesday the city will contribute an additional $5 million. Mercy Housing Northwest (https://www.mercyhousing.org/washington), a local nonprofit, will operate the facility.
The facility will include a service center open to residents and the wider community, said Bill Rumpf, Mercy Housing Northwest president.
“This comprehensive approach is exactly what we need to fund,” Murray said. “It is the kind of thing that makes a difference.”

Planning is in the initial stages, but Rumpf said design and construction costs should fall within the range of the $35 million pledged by the city and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
Operating costs would not be covered by the donation. Mercy Housing will seek public and private funding to help defray the cost of running the facility, Rumpf said. Residents of permanent housing such as this generally pay no more than 30 percent of their income for rent.
A location has not been determined.
“Our vision right now is that it’s in a location where there is access to services and public transit,” said Paul Butler, who oversees homelessness programs for the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
For the city, finding space for new housing facilities has proved difficult. Murray’s plan to open a 24-hour emergency shelter and service center for the homeless by the end of 2016 fell behind schedule (http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/navigation-center-for-homeless-wont-open-as-planned-by-end-of-year/) when the city couldn’t find an appropriate site.
City officials settled on a location (http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/citys-drive-to-help-homeless-may-displace-overnight-shelter-provider/) in Seattle’s Chinatown International District in February, but only after the city agreed to cover debt payments owed by the building’s owner.
Rumpf said he’s confident that Mercy Housing, which recently opened a 108-unit affordable-housing complex in Rainier Valley, will be able to find an appropriate site for the new complex. Vulcan, the company that manages Allen’s real estate and other business interests, is assisting the nonprofit in the search, he said.
Officials don’t yet have a timeline for opening the facility. It could take about two years, Rumpf said.
The project has been in the works for several months, according to the Allen Family Foundation.
Murray has challenged the city’s business and philanthropic communities to devote resources toward local efforts to reduce homelessness. In his State of the City address in February, he asked for $25 million in help from the business community over five years (http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/mayor-ed-murray-proposes-property-tax-to-help-homeless-soda-tax-for-education/).
Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine declared a state of emergency over homelessness in 2015 (http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/mayor-county-exec-declare-state-of-emergency-over-homelessness/). They’re now developing a measure (http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-mayor-ed-murray-abandons-plans-for-homelessness-property-tax-levy/) that would use a 0.1 percent county sales tax to fund efforts to reduce to homelessness.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/billionaire-paul-allen-pledges-30m-toward-permanent-housing-for-seattles-homeless/

TargeT

28th April 2017, 18:18

Drones have certainly not always been used in helpful ways... but they are starting to do some awesome things for humans!

Drones are Saving Lives as Next Advancement in Public Safety Technology

While consumer drones get the splashy and sometimes overblown headlines, the technology is quickly being embraced by cities across the United States for applications ranging from firefighting to search and rescue. Departments are already repurposing off-the-shelf drones to aid in a variety of situations.
DJI, a leader in the consumer space, is moving to carve out a niche of enterprise capable drones. The recent addition of the Matrice 200 allows the deployment of multiple camera payloads including zoom-capable video, infrared systems (FLIR) and high-resolution cameras.
The impacts are already being felt across the states in various public safety situations.
Firefighting With Drones

Most headlines you read are public officials urging the public to stay away from fires with personal drones. But the same technology is being deployed to help map fires, guide firefighters to hot spots and general surveillance of the scene. A drone can quickly offer the commander on the ground a bird’s eye view of the scene and help guide responding units into the best possible position.

https://cdn-ssl.newsledge.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/drones-public-safety-firefighting.jpg
NYFD Deploys Custom Drone

The New York City Fire Department is already adding drones to its arsenal. A recent NYTimes piece detailed the $85,000 custom drone, which can send back both standard video and infrared images. Painted fire engine red, the department jokingly considered having the ‘Keep Back 200 Feet’ painted on to mimic the city’s fire engines.
Daniel A. Nigro, NYC’s current fire commissioner, talked to the Times about the newest firefighting weapon (https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/nyregion/new-york-city-fire-department-drones.html?_r=0):
“That tool for a chief is just night and day from what it was not just 30 years ago when I started, but 15 years ago. And moving forward, technology like this is a terrific advantage for us and for fire departments around the country.”
NYFD’s interest in drone technology was initially sparked by the 2014 East Harlem gas explosion which killed eight. A local sent up his personal drone which captured an excellent overview of the scene. Two years of research and development later, the NYFD had its own.
Coral Springs and Rescue Drone Deployment

In April, the Coral Springs, FL Fire and Rescue Department (http://www.local10.com/news/florida/coral-springs/drone-helps-coral-springs-firefighters-battle-flames-at-dollar-tree-store) deployed one of its drones to help contain a blaze at a local Dollar Tree. No special research and development for the drone used in the video below. It’s an off-the-shelf DJI Inspire 1 with an FLIR camera attached.
In addition to the Inspire, the department has a Mavic and a Phantom. And because it’s Florida, they released a statement saying the drones wouldn’t be used in surveillance operations, though plans for the Mavic include indoor hostage rescue scenarios.
That’s not how Mavic works, but Florida will be Florida (I was born in Homestead). Isn’t the idea for the hostage taker not to hear you coming? I know. We all watched A.P.B. on Fox and thought, taser on a drone? Badass.

https://www.newsledge.com/drones-public-safety-technology/

Though of course, they had to end the article with some crap about "taser drones"... :/

AutumnW

28th April 2017, 22:37

Thank you so much for this thread! I will add something soon!

TargeT

4th May 2017, 20:50

An event started by gamers inside the World of Warcaft game itself has been raising money for charities for a few years now and has been officially sanctioned by the game designers to include changes to the game that support this event.

Imagine if instead of silly facebook profile filters
https://d.europe.newsweek.com/en/full/8072/russia-america-facebook-flags.png
Something like this was done...

World of Warcraft: Running of the Gnomes Charity Event Officially Being Backed by Blizzard

The Running of the Gnomes event, run for charity yearly by the World of Warcraft community, is about to get a huge cosmetic upgrade thanks to Blizzard.
For those that don't know, these runs are performed with level one characters, which is what can make them somewhat challenging at times since you're running through high-level zones (especially in Stranglethorn Vale.) And they're always done to support a charity. The Running of the Gnomes is done to support the Cleveland Clinic's Tuohy Vaccine, and the Running of the Trolls is done to support the Trevor Project, which is a national 24-hour, toll-free confidential suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth.
The Running of the Gnome starts in New Tinkertown, progresses into Ironforge, then heads to Stormwind via the Deeprun Tram. From there, the gnome stampede progresses south into Stranglethorn Vale, ending up at Booty Bay. Blizzard's decked out the race course in Gnomeregan regalia and racing banners on the PTR, complete with gnome NPCs along the way that'll cheer you on. They've even added a new quest that'll task you with running through the 40 gates and crossing the finish line. Check out the preview below
aqqwlJOl9DA
And it's grown by leaps and bounds since it began. The Running of the Gnomes has been running since 2009 and has grown from 144 participants to 2,860 pink haired gnomes making the trek to Booty Bay. Blizzard's taken notice, and they're adding official decorations to celebrate the Running of the Gnomes. Dravvie has even started running a Horde-side event called Running of the Trolls three years ago to give players of both factions a chance to support a good cause. She's been absolutely floored by the support that Blizzard has shown her grassroots charity event.
"I feel really honored that that this small, fun charity event that I started years ago with some friends has turned into such an installation in the community that Blizzard saw fit to make it a holiday," Dravvie tells PVP Live. "It’s neat to think that so many people that wouldn’t have otherwise known about the event will get to experience it! Looking at the PTR, they didn’t even change the route. I’m so touched to know that the staff at Blizzard have come to love the event like I and the community do. Honestly, I just feel humbled and grateful."The official Running of the Gnomes event will be in October, and it's expected that this World of Warcraft microholiday should debut alongside it. The event dates for the Running of the Gnomes will be announced soon on the WarcraftCares Twitter, (https://twitter.com/WarcraftCares) and by Dravvie herself.
https://pvplive.net/c/world-of-warcraft-running-of-the-gnomes-is-becomin

TargeT

20th May 2017, 20:32

If only we had this problem in the US...

I wonder if this should be taken note of.. a single culture nation seems to be a more peaceful one.

As crime dries up, Japan’s police hunt for things to do
http://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/1872-width/images/2017/05/articles/main/20170520_asp006.jpg
There was just one fatal shooting in the whole of 2015

THE stake-out lasted a week, but it paid off in the end. The tireless police of Kagoshima, a sleepy city in the far south of the country, watched the unlocked car day and night. It was parked outside a supermarket, and contained a case of malt beer. Finally, a passing middle-aged man decided to help himself. Five policemen instantly pounced, nabbing one of the city’s few remaining law-breakers.

Japan’s cluttered streets are not always pretty but they are remarkably safe. Crime rates have been falling for 13 years. The murder rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people is among the lowest in the world; in America it is almost 4 (see chart). A single gun slaying was recorded for the whole of 2015. Even yakuza gangsters, once a potent criminal force, have been weakened by tougher laws and old age.
http://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/files/images/print-edition/20170520_ASC643_0.png
Yet, far from being pensioned off, the police are growing in numbers: beat cops, known colloquially as omawari-san (Mr Walk-around), are a fixture in most neighbourhoods. Japan has over 259,000 uniformed officers—15,000 more than a decade ago, when crime rates were far higher. The ratio of officers to population is very high, especially in Tokyo, home to the world’s biggest metropolitan police force—a quarter bigger than the one protecting New York.

This means plenty of attention for crimes that would be considered too petty to investigate elsewhere, such as the theft of a bicycle or the possession of a tiny amount of drugs. One woman describes how five officers crowded into her cramped apartment after she reported her knickers being swiped from a clothesline. A small army of detectives was assigned last year to apprehend a group of 22 people who had been growing marijuana for their personal use only and smoking it in deserted rural spots.

In fact, as the police run out of things to do, they are becoming more inventive about what constitutes a crime, says Kanako Takayama of Kyoto University. In one recent case, she says, they arrested a group of people who had shared the cost of renting a car, deeming the arrangement an illegal taxi. Some prefectures have begun prosecuting people who ride their bicycles through red lights.

In 2015 a man was arrested for scribbling Adolf Hitler moustaches onto posters of Shinzo Abe, the prime minister. Ms Takayama says detectives have started appearing without permission on university campuses, to monitor “troublesome” students. One reason why police are going after cyclists may be to make up for the steady fall in driving offences. (Both drivers and cyclists can avoid fines by signing up for remedial training at certified driving schools, which are often staffed by retired officers, notes Colin Jones of Doshisha University.) Fifteen years ago police in Hokkaido, in Japan’s sparsely populated north, conspired with yakuza gangsters to smuggle guns into the country so they could meet quotas for finding them.

The hunt for things to do may sometimes be beneficial. The number of reported cases of children being abused at home has almost doubled since 2010, despite the declining birth rate. That suggests the police are increasingly intervening in the domestic sphere, which they used to avoid.

Even critics of Japan’s justice system accept that it gets a lot right. Rates of recidivism are low and a great deal of effort is made to keep young offenders out of the prison system; police work with parents to keep young people on the straight and narrow. Adults are incarcerated at a far lower rate than in most rich countries: 45 per 100,000, compared with 146 in Britain and 666 in the United States.

Yet the police are oddly inefficient. Even though there are so many officers and so few crimes, they solve less than 30% of them. Confessions, often made under duress, form the basis of most criminal prosecutions. The courts dismissed the case of the beer thief in Kagoshima, despite all the work that went into it. Japan is almost crime-free not thanks to the police, says Yoshihiro Yasuda, a campaigning lawyer, but because people police themselves.
http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21722216-there-was-just-one-fatal-shooting-whole-2015-crime-dries-up-japans-police-hunt

TargeT

26th May 2017, 02:09

I can't believe we've still do this most places, the justice system is such a nasty trap.

Good for Texas, hopefully more states will follow suit.

House votes to end jail time for being too poor to pay fines
Senate Bill 1913, by state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, would allow courts to ask defendants if they are too poor to pay for traffic tickets, fines for other low-level and fine-only offenses or court costs.
https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib-MentalPrisonCuts-TW310_jpg_800x1000_q100.jpg

More here:
https://www.texastribune.org/2017/05/23/texas-house-clears-bill-eliminating-jail-time-being-too-poor-pay-traff/

DNA

26th May 2017, 06:51

Good stuff Target, keep it coming. :clapping:

TargeT

2nd June 2017, 20:00

This is VERY important.. I hope it happens, but I think it should be 19billion or 20 billion... we need to shut this **** down HARD.

Google could face a $9bn EU fine for rigging search results in its favor

A seven-year investigation into the world's most popular internet search engine was triggered by scores of complaints from both US and European rivals

https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/story_large/public/thumbnails/image/2017/03/29/10/google-porn.jpg
EU antitrust regulators aim to slap a hefty fine on Alphabet unit Google over its shopping service before the summer break in August, two people familiar with the matter said, setting the stage for two other cases involving the US company.

The European Commission's decision will come after a seven-year investigation into the world's most popular internet search engine was triggered by scores of complaints from both US and European rivals.

The EU competition authority accused Google in April 2015 of distorting internet search results to favour its shopping service, harming both rivals and consumers.The Commission and Google declined to comment. The US company has in the past rejected the charges, saying that regulators ignored competition from online retailers Amazon and eBay.

Fines for companies found guilty of breaching EU antitrust rules can reach 10 per cent of their global turnover, which in Google's case could be about $9bn of its 2016 turnover.

Apart from the fine, the Commission will tell Google to stop its alleged anti-competitive practices but it is not clear what measures it will order the company to adopt to ensure that rivals get equal treatment in internet shopping results.

The regulator could set out general principles or specific instructions for Google to follow, said an observer.

Read more here:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/google-eu-fine-search-9-billion-search-results-rigging-alphabet-shopping-service-a7768621.html

A Voice from the Mountains

2nd June 2017, 20:06

TargeT

2nd June 2017, 21:34

If only cops were taught to assess people and situations like this. But no, I'm surprised this guy passed the test to become a cop!

Depends on the jurisdiction. Some places are more corrupt than others. Even county to county can make a huge difference with sheriffs offices, on a sliding scale somewhere between Andy Griffith and Rodney King's LAPD.

I find my local PD exactly where I want them from time to time... taking a nap in their patrol car in the woods (usually a long my horse trails... haha) Perfect place for those costumed thugs, away from where they can cause us actually productive citizens issues.

Yes, standards are extremely variable.

TargeT

13th June 2017, 16:27

The ability to let $2,000,000.00 in stocks just sit there... that's amazing self control, to then turn around and donate it at the twilight of your life... wow.

98-Year-Old Just Donated $2 Million In Stock To Create A Wildlife Sanctuary

98-year-old Russ Gremel has led a simple life, with no one knowing he was a millionaire the entire time. Until recently, that is, when the elderly man donated 2 million dollars to the 395-acre Gremel Wildlife Sanctuary to protect wetlands in Amboy, Illinois – so people could come out and enjoy nature the way he did as a kid. “I’m a very simple man,” says Gremel. “I never let anybody know I had that kind of money.”

Gremel grew up poor as his family lost everything after the 1929 stock market crash, so the man learned how to be happy and content with whatever he had from the early days.

Around 70 years ago, Gremel bought $1,007 of stock in Walgreens pharmacy chain. His brother advised him that people would always need medicine and women would buy make up, so it was a wise investment – and boy was he right. Over the years, the Walgreens chain has exploded, and is now worth more than $62 billion, making Gremel’s stocks worth $2 million.

Gremel never touched that money throughout this life until his recent generous donation to protect nature. “You have to do some good in this world,” says Gremel. “That’s what money is for.” Besides, the man claims he’s already had a “hell of a good life” without all that money.
j3_QXe_pgyU

More here:
http://myfunnypalace.com/98-year-old-just-donated-2-million-stock-create-wildlife-sanctuary/

TargeT

27th June 2017, 13:17

This should have happened in the US over the election... but at least it happened somewhere.

Google Slapped With $2.7 Billion EU Fine Over Search Results

https://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-UA681_378ve_OR_20170627040846.jpg?width=860&height=589
The European Union’s antitrust regulator on Tuesday fined Alphabet Inc.’s GOOGL -1.42% Google a record €2.42 billion ($2.71 billion) for favoring its own comparison-shopping service in search results and ordered the search giant to apply the same methods to rivals as its own when displaying their services.

The decision, if it is upheld, would force Google to reshape the way it presents search results for products in Europe, the latest move by Brussels to rein in the tech world. The decision could also have farther-reaching implications for other Google products and services—as well as those from competitors.

If the ruling sets a precedent that holds, these firms might all have to rethink how they make products that—like Google’s search engine—have become more than just tools, but dominant gateways to the wider internet.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-slapped-with-2-7-billion-eu-fine-over-search-results-1498556971

TargeT

19th July 2017, 19:46

IRS Loses $175 Million Class Action Lawsuit!
dng2za_gWaw

Josh Sigurdson talks with author and economic analyst John Sneisen about the indefensible destructiveness of the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) as it's been a cancer on the American people since 1913 when the IRS Act was passed around the same time as The Federal Reserve Act.

Monetary manipulation goes hand in hand with the extortion system known as the IRS.

Recently, the IRS lost a $175 million class action lawsuit including more than 700,000 people and businesses to recover allegedly unlawful license fees paid to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Nearly three years later, the plaintiffs got a win after Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled that "all fees that the defendant has charged to class members to issue and renew a PTIN ... are hereby declared unlawful." The potential cost to the IRS? $175 million.

Josh and John go into why taxation is theft and why it's not necessary. From "Who'll build the roads?" to how it affects businesses and promotes an impoverished society and how a voluntary society with voluntary community funding is far better than the statist extortion racket.

Both on a moral and logical level, taxation is wrong and an attack on free individuals.

TargeT

26th October 2017, 18:30

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/97/c2/11/97c211de86b29f62f8a76d32d7f801db.jpg

TargeT

14th November 2017, 20:26

With the craziness of the last few months... it's important to understand the implications of the MSM flailing and current investigations... WE are shifting the agenda.

U5aXC0ZVFDE

You are weak! You are powerless! You don't control your own life!...is what the powers-that-shouldn't-be want you to believe. In reality, the thing they are most afraid of is you discovering your own power and taking control of your life. And as a new study shows, even a small number of alternative, non-mainstream sources can redirect the national conversation. So why aren't we using this power to our advantage and setting a new agenda for humanity? The choice is ours. Please support The Corbett Report and the other independent outlets that are helping to do just that.

Noelle

14th November 2017, 23:52

TargeT

17th November 2017, 18:42

Sure it's "only a game" but this is exciting to see... I hope this trend spreads to every "product" and company out there!

Wall Street is freaking out as EA caves again to social media outrage over its ‘Star Wars’ game

Investors are now worried the controversy over Electronic Arts' "Star Wars Battlefront II" in-game monetization model will hurt the video game's sales.

"The escalation of EA concessions over the past month are a potential negative indicator of pre-order sales trends and overall unit confidence," Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst Justin Post writes."

EA's stock is down 7 percent month to date through Thursday compared with the S&P 500's 0.4 percent gain.

https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/img/editorial/2017/11/17/104849455-GettyImages-868753736-star-wars-battlefront.530x298.jpg
Gamers play the video game 'Star Wars Battlefront II' developed by DICE, Criterion Games and Motive Studios and published by Electronics Arts on Sony PlayStation game consoles PS4 Pro during the 'Paris Games Week' on October 31, 2017 in Paris, France.

Angry gamers are winning the war against Electronic Arts' in-game money-making strategy in its new "Star Wars Battlefront II" title.

Wall Street is taking notice and lowering its expectations for the video game's financial prospects.

The company announced Thursday it is temporarily turning off all in-game purchases in "Star Wars Battlefront II" in response to the negative sentiment from the gaming community.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DOzCU5wV4AAwFT4.jpg

Today, we turned off in-game purchases for #StarWarsBattlefrontII. The game is built on your input, and it will continue to evolve and grow. Read the full update: http://bit.ly/2hyFHce

Angry gamers are winning the war against Electronic Arts' in-game money-making strategy in its new "Star Wars Battlefront II" title.

Wall Street is taking notice and lowering its expectations for the video game's financial prospects.

The company announced Thursday it is temporarily turning off all in-game purchases in "Star Wars Battlefront II" in response to the negative sentiment from the gaming community.

"It's clear that many of you feel there are still challenges in the design. We've heard the concerns about potentially giving players unfair advantages. … Sorry we didn't get this right," EA wrote in the post. "We hear you loud and clear, so we're turning off all in-game purchases. … The ability to purchase crystals in-game will become available at a later date, only after we've made changes to the game."

EA's "Star Wars Battlefront II" officially launches on Friday, but portions of the game went live on Nov. 9 for the company's EA Access and Origin Access subscribers.

The company's shares were down 3 percent Friday.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch now predicts the "Star Wars" title sales are likely to disappoint investors and come under the company's target because of the gamer outrage.

"The escalation of EA concessions over the past month are a potential negative indicator of pre-order sales trends and overall unit confidence," analyst Justin Post wrote in a note to clients Friday entitled "In-game purchases benched the night before launch."

The "Star Wars Battlefront II" "bumpy launch week creates incremental risk to early unit sales (initial reviews also underwhelming). … We think unit sales could come in below EA's earlier FY18 outlook for around 14mn units."

Post maintained his buy rating and $137 price target for Electronic Arts shares, representing 23 percent upside to Thursday's close.

The analyst is hopeful upside from the publisher's sports titles will make up for faltering sales results for "Star Wars Battlefront II."

"We think the strength of Ultimate Team could offset a 2-3 million unit shortfall for Battlefront, and remain comfortable with our FY18 estimates," he wrote.

The initial uproar centered on in-game purchases in "Star Wars Battlefront II." They allowed players to save time by paying extra money to accelerate the "unlock" of major characters like Darth Vader.

The gaming community flooded social media and Reddit with thousands of negative posts, saying the company is unfairly compelling consumers to spend more money for content that should be part of the initial $60 game price.

The company had already partly backtracked as it announced Monday it reduced the credits cost to unlock key characters by 75 percent.

Even before the recent social media fight, other analysts were concerned over "Star Wars Battlefront II" prospects.

Jefferies' analyst Timothy O'Shea questioned whether "Star Wars" game buyers will pay more like consumers of EA's popular sports titles.

"If Star Wars can encourage users to spend real money on virtual goods (like FIFA) the game could drive meaningful upside to F'18 and '19 EPS, but this is not a certainty," O'Shea wrote in a note to clients on Nov. 1 entitled "Star Wars Battlefront 2: A Trick Or a Treat?"

The gaming community is still not satisfied even with EA's latest move to pause in-game purchases, calling out the temporary nature of the action.
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/17/wall-street-is-freaking-out-as-ea-caves-again-to-social-media-outrage-over-its-star-wars-game.html

Hopefully this isn't some genius PR stunt... but I doubt it is; the Reddit hate is real for EA right now... (don't forget this is the company that was voted worst in the US 2 years in a row (https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/17/wall-street-is-freaking-out-as-ea-caves-again-to-social-media-outrage-over-its-star-wars-game.html))

TargeT

3rd September 2020, 19:33

I still like the idea of this thread, here's a new addition:

Drone drops hundreds of bags of cannabis in Tel Aviv
The bags were dropped by the "green drone" Telegram group, which advocates for the legalization of cannabis in Israel, with "free love" being the group's slogan.
https://www.jta.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bags-of-marijuana-in-Tel-Aviv-09.03.2020.jpg

A drone dropped hundreds of bags of cannabis on Thursday afternoon over Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, attracting dozens of confused people, who rushed to pick up as many bags as they could carry.
The bags of cannabis were dropped by the "green drone" Telegram group, which advocates for the legalization of cannabis in Israel, with "free love" being the group's slogan.
Before dropping the cannabis over Tel Aviv, the group published a message on Telegram, hinting at the planned operation.
"It's time my dear brothers. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the green drone, handing out free cannabis from the sky... Enjoy my beloved brothers, this is your pilot brother, making sure we all get some free love," the message read.
The message also indicated that the operation was part of the group's celebratory launching of a new delivery system titled "rain of cannabis."
"We're launching the 'rain of cannabis' project, that will include a weekly delivery to different parts of the country of 1 kilo of cannabis divided into free 2 gram bags," the message stated.
The masterminds behind the operation also addressed the imminent threat of a lockdown imposed by the government in an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, explaining that the situation "requires thinking outside the box and coming up with new ways of getting cannabis to consumers" – which they said is what gave birth to the project in the first place.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/drone-drops-hundreds-of-bags-of-cannabis-dropped-in-tel-aviv-640981