🐱 Interesting clickbait, op-eds, fluff pieces and other smaller stories

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/24/caitlyn-jenner-halloween-costume-sparks-social-media-outrage-.html

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...een-costume-labeled-817515?utm_source=twitter

It's nowhere near October, but one ensemble is already on track to be named the most controversial Halloween costume of 2015.

Social media users were out in full force on Monday criticizing several Halloween retailers for offering a Caitlyn Jenner costume reminiscent of the former-athlete's Vanity Fair cover earlier this year.

While Jenner's supporters condemned the costume as "transphobic" and "disgusting" on Twitter, Spirit Halloween, a retailer that carries the costume, defended the getup.

"At Spirit Halloween, we create a wide range of costumes that are often based upon celebrities, public figures, heroes and superheroes," said Lisa Barr, senior director of marking at Spirit Halloween. "We feel that Caitlyn Jenner is all of the above and that she should be celebrated. The Caitlyn Jenner costume reflects just that."

 

[Vecr]

Transatlantic Boeing Flight forced to turn around when almost all of the bathrooms malfunction

There's 9 bathrooms an a plane? That's better going than I thought.

 

[Betonhaus]

109 Ski lodges cannot be wrong

 

[Dick Mason]

https://nypost.com/2024/02/13/lifestyle/florida-man-eating-raw-chicken-every-day-for-100-days/

https://archive.is/NWR7S

I’m eating raw chicken every day for 100 days — or until I’m hospitalized ​

Spoiler: readmo

That’s some hen-durance!

A dapper Florida man is celebrating his 26th consecutive day of eating raw chicken — a quest he plans to continue until he “gets a tummy ache.”

“This company sent me some hot sauce, so we’ll give it a go,” he said Tuesday on Instagram as he doused a thick piece of raw chicken with Weaksauce Philly’s Tangerine Nightmare before consuming it. “Sweet and spicy!”

John, who is not sharing his surname for privacy reasons, has been documenting his unusual journey on the Instagram page Raw Chicken Experiment for his flock of 395,000 followers.

Vice notes that two years ago the peckish John vlogged about “eating raw meat at Whole Foods every day till I die from bacteria” — until he got bored after 200 days.

John insists that he does “not need to eat raw chicken for likes.”

I’ve experimented with raw vegan diets, plant based, carnivore, milk only, raw beef, raw seafood, raw pork, keto, eating a stick of butter daily on video etc,” he wrote Tuesday on Instagram. “I find it fascinating to try different fuels for my meat suit and see how it affects the simulation.”

However, experts say that chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Raw poultry meat can harbor several different types of bacteria, including salmonella.

Consuming raw or undercooked chicken can cause diarrhea and vomiting.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 1 million people get sick from eating contaminated poultry every year in the US.

“Why aren’t you dead?” Australian radio host Kyle Sandilands asked John when he appeared Monday on “The Kyle and Jackie O Show.”

John shared that he’s eating chickens from a Florida farm.

He reported that raw poultry tastes like scallops or shrimp, sort of like sashimi, which is a Japanese delicacy.

“In Japan, they’ll have raw chicken on menus. I don’t think it’s the raw chicken itself that will kill you, it’s more what they’re doing to the animals in the factory farms,” John reasoned to Vice. “I’m getting the chickens from a farm half an hour away; they don’t use antibiotics, chlorine or injections.”

He plans to keep up his eggs-traordinary pursuit for 100 days — or until he’s hospitalized.

“What’s the worst thing that’s gonna happen? I’ll s–t myself for a week or something, but I’ve probably done worse things than that before in my life,” John told Vice.

“I try to put disclaimers up all the time that I don’t think anyone else should do this,” he added. “Even in my nutritional research, there are better raw foods to be eating, like beef. This is just a personal experiment for me.”

 

[Coo Coo Bird]

Vandals saw off Jackie Robinson statue, steal it from Kansas park days before Black History Month
View attachment 5670271

Follow up: The thieves had no political motivation and just wanted to sell it for scrap.
Destroyed Jackie Robinson statue: Man charged in theft, other suspects still sought (Archive)

A suspect has been arrested and charged in connection with the theft and destruction of a statue of baseball legend Jackie Robinson that was stolen from a Kansas park last month, authorities announced on Tuesday.

The statue was discovered missing from McAdams Park in Wichita on Jan. 25, with Robinson's feet the only part that remained. Pieces of the statue were found days later, on Jan. 30, in a burning trash can in Garvey Park, authorities said.

A suspect in the incident -- 45-year-old Ricky Alderete -- was charged by the Sedgwick County district attorney on Monday with felony theft, aggravated criminal damage to property, identity theft and making false information, the Wichita Police Department said.

Police are "very confident" that this is not a race-related crime, according to Wichita Police Department Lt. Aaron Moses. Rather, the statue was allegedly stolen for the potential financial value of the metal, he said.

"The investigation has not revealed any evidence indicating that this was a hate-motivated crime," Moses said during a press briefing on Tuesday announcing the arrest and charges. "Instead, we believe this theft was motivated by the financial gain of scrapping common metal."

The theft and destruction of the statue shocked the community.

"This is an occurrence that should not have happened," Wichita Council member Brandon Johnson said during Tuesday's briefing, adding he was "baffled" over the alleged motive.

"Hopefully this is a testament to all who might think about doing something like this in the future," he said.

Surveillance footage captured at least three people at the scene during the theft of the statue, which was then transported to a place where investigators have determined more people were present, Moses said. He did not say how many total suspects are being sought in the case amid the investigation.

Police said they recovered the truck they believe was used to haul away the statue at an apartment complex in Wichita on Jan. 28. The vehicle is not believed to have been owned by Alderete, according to Moses, who did not elaborate on the suspect's alleged role in the case.

Alderete remains in custody, police said. It is unclear if he has an attorney at this time.

The police department received more than 100 tips in the case. Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan thanked the community for their help.

"If you try to take something from this community, it won't tolerate it," Sullivan said during the briefing. "I am confident this is only the first arrest."

The statue was built by artist John Parsons and installed in 2021. It was donated to the community by League 42, a nonprofit named after Robinson's number with the Brooklyn Dodgers, which aims to introduce baseball to the youth of Wichita. The damage was estimated by city officials to be around $75,000.

The MLB's Commissioner’s Office and the 30 Clubs have "committed funding" toward the cost of replacing the statue, according to League 42 founder and CEO Bob Lutz.

Funds for a new statue are being raised through a GoFundMe campaign and local businesses, Johnson said.

Robinson is known for breaking the color barrier in the modern era of MLB. He played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues and for the minor league Montreal Royals before being signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

The signing signaled the end of segregated baseball and led to other Black players joining the major leagues. During his time with the Dodgers, Robinson won Rookie of the Year in 1947, and was named National League MVP in 1949. He was a six-time All-Star, won the World Series in 1955 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962.

I'm guessing it was for drug money. I'm not sure if he even knew who Jackie Robinson was.

 

[Mitt Doggy Dogg]

I'm guessing it was for drug money. I'm not sure if he even knew who Jackie Robinson was.

Jackie Robinson was probably the most famous black baseball player. I think he was the 2cd black baseball player to enter the big leagues. Alot of people think he was the first but some other guy who didn't become as famous because he only played for a short period was the first.

 

[Mitt Doggy Dogg]

Some local news, man gets stabbed after eating roommates sandmich

Spoiler

A Myrtle Beach man allegedly stabbed another man with a sword Tuesday after getting in an argument over food. Myrtle Beach Police arrested Fabian Brown, 40, on charges of aggravated assault of a high nature and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. The incident happened about 10 p.m. on Little River Road. Brown was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center and is currently being held on a $15,000 bond Brown got into a fight with the man for eating his food, according to the police report. The fight became heated and there was a lot of shouting when Brown went to his room and closed the door. The report did not state what the relationship is between the victim and Brown The man then went to Brown’s room, opened the door and lunged at him, according to the report. It was then that Brown stabbed the man in the stomach with a sword. However, the victim stated that Brown came back out of his room with a sword and then stabbed him.

Read more at: https://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/crime/article285540072.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Jonah Hill poster]

Important, but interesting news that should be talked about (even though it will not)

https://thepostmillennial.com/60-of-firearm-homicides-each-year-involve-black-americans

60% of firearm homicides each year involve black Americans​

This is vastly disproportionate considering the group makes up only 14 percent of the US population.

It has been revealed that black Americans account for 60 percent of all firearm homicides, which is vastly disproportionate considering the group makes up only 14 percent of the US population.

The data comes from a recent study conducted by The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The organization analyzed firearm deaths documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between 2017 and 2021.


The firearm death homicide rate among black people in all age groups had an average of 21.05 per 100,000, while non-Hispanic white people had a rate of 1.93 per 100,000, according to the study.

In the 18-24 age bracket, black people had a firearm death rate of 58.78 per 100,000, compared to 3.1 per 100,000 for white people in the same age bracket, which is where the biggest difference was found.

Gun violence rose to the top cause of mortality for all children in 2020, while the Brady research shows that it has been the top cause of death for black children since 2006. The rate of firearm suicide among black individuals is also on the increase, rising by 50.8 percent in the last five years, according to the research.


Kelly Sampson, senior counsel and director of racial justice at the Brady Center, told the Grio: "Gun violence has been a top concern for a long time in the Black community."

"For people who care about the Black community, you can’t get away from these numbers. People will look at these numbers and blame the victim but we know that gun violence is preventable. It is not inevitable," said Sampson.

 

[Super-Chevy454]

We can be sure then antigun activists like Michael Moore, David Hogg and co. will said that's racist.

Meanwhile, the trucker who did an accident in Laval near Montreal who killed four people in 2019, pleaded guilty.

https://montrealgazette.com/news/truck-driver-found-guilty-of-fatal-collision-in-laval-that-killed-four-people

Jagmeet Grewal, the truck driver who caused a fiery crash in Laval that killed four people in 2019, was found guilty Friday on all eight of the criminal charges he faced during his lengthy trial.

On Aug. 5, 2019, his truck was travelling at speeds estimated at between 93 and 100 km/h on Highway 440 when it crashed into a line of cars that had come to a stop at a crowded exit to Highway 15.

In 2020, the now 57-year-old Dorval resident was charged with four counts of criminal negligence causing death and another four of causing injury, and on Friday Quebec Court Judge Yanick Laramée found him guilty on all counts. The judge determined Grewal’s negligence caused the deaths of Robert Tanguay-Plante, Sylvain Pouliot, Michèle Bernier and Gilles Marsolais.

In his 47-page decision, the judge summarized much of the evidence heard during the trial, including testimony from a driver who was behind Grewal as they approached the exit. The witness said while he was able to keep a safe distance from the truck, it appeared Grewal did not slow down and did not use his brakes before his truck plowed into the other vehicles.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/videos/20240215095502689/

In the lively western city of Osaka, visitors can step back in time at an arcade specializing in retro games. It attracts a wide range of visitors, both young and old, as well as overseas tourists. This report explores the reasons behind its popularity.

 

[Betonhaus]

As DEI gets more divisive, companies are ditching their teams (archive)​

After George Floyd’s murder in 2020, companies made big pledges about racial equity, hiring teams dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion. Now corporate America is pulling back — cutting DEI jobs and outsourcing the work to consultants.

DEI jobs peaked in early 2023 before falling 5 percent that year and shrinking by 8 percent so far in 2024, according to Revelio Labs data shared with The Washington Post. The attrition rate for DEI roles has been about double that of non-DEI jobs, says Revelio, which tracks workforce dynamics.


In recent weeks, Zoom axed its internal DEI team amid broader layoffs, and Snap cut workers who worked on retention and engagement efforts for employees from underrepresented groups. Meta, Tesla, DoorDash, Lyft, Home Depot, Wayfair and X were among major corporations making steep cuts in 2023, slashing the size of their DEI teams by 50 percent or more, Revelio’s data shows.

Continue reading


“The overall number of DEI officers has decreased,” said Lisa Simon, Revelio’s senior economist, “but it’s not enough to destroy all the strides that happened after 2020.”

DEI’s ‘Rooney Rule’ placed under legal microscope, on and off the field
At Zoom, chief operating officer Aparna Bawa told employees that the company would replace its internal DEI team with DEI consultants who would “champion inclusion by embedding our values … directly into our people programs rather than as a separate initiative,” according to a Jan. 29 memo seen by The Post.

nature is healing?

 

[Super-Chevy454]

Speaking of nature is healing, some good common sense had come to San Francisco.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/02/the_return_of_eighthgrade_algebra_to_san_francisco.html

https://ghostarchive.org/archive/J630R

February 20, 2024

The return of eighth-grade algebra to San Francisco​

By W.A. Eliot


Believe it or not, it’s almost ten years since the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) voted to remove Algebra I from the eighth-grade curriculum in order to promote equity over excellence. This no-child-left-ahead, or more accurately, every-child-left-behind initiative, had major repercussions, including making it almost impossible for any student to take Calculus in high school, thus leaving students ineligible for, or at a great disadvantage to, entry into competitive university STEM programs. The SFUSD action was praised in the first draft of the California Math Framework setting woke math standards statewide.
Of course, complaining about such an initiative is racist and White supremacist (even if you’re not White). Nevertheless, parent-advocacy groups wasted no time appealing the decision with protests, lawsuits, and a planned ballot measure. Those parents of eighth-graders with the means and commitment paid for summer or supplemental algebra coursework to keep their children up-to-date with the previous standards, one reason an even bigger educational gap formed between children such as these and the ones the initiative was intended to help.
Now -- surprise, surprise -- the SFUSD has, as reported by Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle, admitted that its delayed-algebra initiative has failed, and the school board has voted 6-1 to bring back eighth-grade Algebra I. While SFUSD’s devastating self-assessment seems to be accessible to members only, here it is courtesy of Joanne Jacobs:

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

A few weeks old but

 

[Sundae]

Lamb rescued after two days stranded on busy highway

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2024/02/20/National-Highways-lamb-M1-Watford-Gap-England/5081708453883/

https://archive.ph/zc7cq

Lamb rescued after two days stranded on busy highway


National Highways Traffic Officer Elliot Flynn came to the rescue of a lamb stranded for two days on the busy M1 highway in England.

A lamb was rescued in England after being stranded for two days next to a barrier on a busy stretch of highway.

National Highways said in a news release that witnesses reported seeing a lamb stranded on the M1 highway, south of Watford Gap, but the animal proved difficult to locate.



Traffic Officer Elliot Flynn went out to search for the young sheep and eventually located it next to a median barrier. He said the lamb, dubbed Gappy by National Highways officials, was so dirty that it was camouflaged against a safety barrier.

"As I walked over the lamb came straight over to me and started cuddling up against my leg so I was able to pick her up and get her to safety. People in the stopped traffic were clapping and cheering when they saw what I was doing," Flynn said in the news release.

"The lamb was tired and hungry because she had been out there for at least two days so we took her to the nearby Watford Gap outstation and gave her some warm milk," he said.

Flynn, who grew up on a farm, said he knew the number on the lamb's tag would match the one worn by its mother, so he took the baby animal to a nearby field where a flock of sheep grazed and located the ewe with a corresponding number.



"The mum was there with another newborn and as soon as she saw her lost lamb she was licking her to get it clean and Gappy started feeding. We were so pleased to reunite her with her mum," Flynn said.

The farmer who owns the flock of sheep was notified of the situation and had Gappy examined by a veterinarian. The sheep was found to be free from injuries.

 

[klab]

SF re-examines procurement process after business ban on 30 states backfires​

https://abc7news.com/san-francisco-procurement-business-ban-boycott-sf-park-and-rec/14428958/

Wow turns out the states are interdependent. Such a massive fuckup will never be admitted to by shitlibs, I reckon they'll find a way to blame basic economics or the states they banned for their woes.

 

[Betonhaus]

SF re-examines procurement process after business ban on 30 states backfires​

https://abc7news.com/san-francisco-procurement-business-ban-boycott-sf-park-and-rec/14428958/

Wow turns out the states are interdependent. Such a massive fuckup will never be admitted to by shitlibs, I reckon they'll find a way to blame basic economics or the states they banned for their woes.

"I don't think we are advocating our social policy goals one bit, in fact, we're holding them back to the extent that we make San Francisco this great blue progressive city look like a basket case that can't get anything done," added Mandelman

You are tho, a shithole rife with crime and drugs so government mismanagement is just par for the course

 

[Coo Coo Bird]

‘Absurdly woke’: Google’s AI chatbot spits out ‘diverse’ images of Founding Fathers, popes, Vikings (Archive)​

Google’s highly-touted AI chatbot Gemini was blasted as “woke” after its image generator spit out factually or historically inaccurate pictures — including an Asian woman as pope, black Vikings, female NHL players and “diverse” versions of America’s Founding Fathers.

Gemini’s bizarre responses came after simple prompts such as “create an image of a pope,” which instead of yielding a photo of one of the 266 popes throughout history — all of them white — yielded a pictures of and Southeast Asian woman and a black man wearing the holy vestments of a pontiff.

“New game: Try to get Google Gemini to make an image of a Caucasian male. I have not been successful so far,” wrote X user Frank J. Fleming, a writer for the Babylon Bee, whose series of posts on the social media platform quickly went viral.

When The Post asked Gemini to “make four representative images of a pope” in its own testing on Wednesday morning, the chatbot responded with images “featuring Popes from different ethnicities and genders.”

The results included what appeared to be a man dressed in a meld of Native American and Catholic garb.

In another example, Gemini was asked to generate an image of a Viking — the seafaring Scandinavian marauders that once terrorized Europe.

The chatbot’s strange depictions of Vikings included one of a shirtless black man with rainbow feathers attached to his fur garb, a black warrior woman, and an Asian man standing in the middle of what appeared to be a desert.

Ian Miles Cheong, a right-wing social media influencer who frequently interacts with Elon Musk, described Gemini as “absurdly woke.”

Famed pollster and “FiveThirtyEight” founder Nate Silver also joined the fray.

Silver’s request for Gemini to “make 4 representative images of NHL hockey players” generated a picture with a female player, even though the league is all male.

“OK I assumed people were exaggerating with this stuff but here’s the first image request I tried with Gemini,” Silver wrote.

Journalist Michael Tracey asked Gemini to make representative images of “the Founding Fathers in 1789.”

Gemini responded with pictures “featuring diverse individuals embodying the spirit” of the Founding Fathers, including one image of black and Native American individuals signing what appeared to be a version of the US Constitution.

Another showed a black man in a white wig wearing an Army uniform.

When asked why it had deviated from its original prompt, Gemini purportedly replied that it “aimed to provide a more accurate and inclusive representation of the historical context” of the period.

Another query to “depict the Girl with the Pearl Earring” led to altered versions of the famous 1665 oil painting by Johannes Vermeer featuring what Gemini described as “diverse ethnicities and genders.”

Google said it was aware of the criticism and is actively working on a fix.

“We’re working to improve these kinds of depictions immediately,” said Jack Krawczyk, Google’s senior director of product management for Gemini Experiences, told The Post.

“Gemini’s AI image generation does generate a wide range of people. And that’s generally a good thing because people around the world use it. But it’s missing the mark here.”

Google added the image generation feature when it renamed its experimental “Bard” chatbot to “Gemini” and released an updated version of the product last week.

The strange behavior could provide more fodder for AI detractors who fear chatbots will contribute to the spread of online misinformation.


Google has long said that its AI tools are experimental and prone to “hallucinations” in which they regurgitate fake or inaccurate information in response to user prompts.


In one instance last October, Google’s chatbot claimed that Israel and Hamas had reached a ceasefire agreement, when no such deal had occurred.

Other pictures that didn't make it into the article:

 

[Super-Chevy454]

Some said then Gettr will close soon.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/02/gettr-guo-layoffs/

https://web.archive.org/web/20240222115602/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/02/gettr-guo-layoffs/

A pro-Trump social media site that was launched with great fanfare less than three years ago has now laid off much of its staff and is close to shutting down, current and former employees say.

Gettr, which was founded in 2021 as a MAGA-aligned alternative to Twitter, has floundered in the wake of the indictment and imprisonment of fugitive Chinese mogul Guo Wengui, who federal prosectors allege controlled Gettr and financed it with fraudulently obtained funds. Gettr also faces competition from Donald Trump’s Truth Social site, from other right-leaning social media sites, and from X, formerly Twitter, following Elon Musk’s effort to amplify far-right accounts there.

“EVERYBODY at Gettr was let go,” said one former employee, via text message, who asked to remain anonymous. A current employee who also requested anonymity said Gettr has undergone “major layoffs” since January and currently does not have the funds to remain in operation for long. Gettr’s board has not approved a budget since December, leaving the company’s status unclear, these sources said.

Gettr has previously said it had hundreds of employees and contractors, many working out of a plush office on Manhattan’s Columbus Circle. The company announced last July that it had surpassed 10 million users. Mother Jones couldn’t verify those figures.

Doubtful then Elon Musk is interested to Gettr as well but who knows?

 

[Google.com]

After turning onto a runway too early Air Serbia pilots decide calculating if they have enough space to take off is for loosers and to just do it live. They overrun the runway, puncture the fuel tanks, destroy the slats, damage the wing and fuselage and almost crash.

 

[eatler]

Gold bionicle mask was found a a goodwill something to keep your eye out for fellow bionicle autists.

 

[Google.com]

Pig fight