Good Things in the World

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Islamophobic Bus Ads In San Francisco Are Being Defaced With Kamala Khan

Well, this is just brilliant. Racist adverts promoting hatred against Muslims are currently being run on buses in San Francisco - but someone has started covering them up with anti-hatred messages from Marvel's première Muslim superhero, Ms. Marvel.

The adverts were purchased by the American branch of the Freedom Defence Initiative - who, here in the UK, are actually classified as a known Hate Group - and equate Muslims with Nazis. Because, ya know, playing the Nazi card straight away is the perfect method of displaying your point of view as something reasonable. Well done guys. Well done on point two, too - running Islamophobic adverts on buses in San Francisco, an exceedingly liberal city. That's bound to go well!

In a way, it did, because some kind soul chose to deface improve the FDI's hate-ads by plastering over their ridiculous garbage with pictures of Kamala Khan, who became Marvel's first book-headlining Muslim superhero when she took on the mantle of Ms. Marvel in 2013. Here's the ads, as spotted by Street Cred on Facebook:

Awesome stuff. Even Ms. Marvel's writer, G. Willow Wilson, has seen the ads:

@GWillowWilson tweeted: Some amazing person has been painting over the anti-Muslim bus ads in SF with Ms. Marvel graffiti. Spread love.

Sometimes, instead of bickering among ourselves about them, it's nice to see Comic Books being used to promote the ideals their heroes stand for.

http://www.themarysue.com/san-francisco-bus-ads-kamala-khan/

This is super cool

 

[Teelie]

That is a good way to counter that kind of hatred.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Dad Says He's Mourning His Son; WoW Community Rushes To Help

Everyone deals with death in different ways. For one man, the best way to navigate a son's death was to try to dive into his son's interests.

Yesterday, a post on Reddit popped up that described a father's recent dive into World of Warcraft—a game that his son loved, but that he was having trouble understanding:

total noob. no clue what i'm doing.

So im older (late 50's) and my son used to play lots of WOW while he was recovering after getting hit by a mortar in iraq. Recently he passed away and I decided that I wanted to connect with areas of my sons life I never understood. WOW is one of those areas. I am totally overwhelmed right now. I watched a youtube video and decided instances looked like a lot of fun. I "ran" 2 dungeons this weekend. Whatever druid kept resurrecting me - thanks. I had a lot of fun. I know what clicked with son and it clicked with me. I want to keep playing but right now I feel like a drain on any groups unfortunate enough to get stuck with me. Are there any guides on how not to suck? I'm playing a destruction warlock. I've poked around on google but ABP goes nuts whenever I click on a link so I am a bit gun shy. Where the hell do I even start?

Jumping into an MMO for the first time is undoubtedly overwhelming. But, amazingly, a lot of the Reddit WoW community jumped into the thread. Now, there's always a chance this post, while very touching, is actually a hoax. But, what stands out the most about this story discovered by The Daily Dot is how the awesome community responded to the man in the first place: not only did they offer condolences, they also tried their best to offer the man tips, guides, and support. At least one of the people responding was a Blizzard employee, too.

The response was amazing, and somewhat overwhelming for the father.

I got back from work last night and logged into reddit to see if any more responses had come in. I am in shock. The outpouring of support and condolences boggles my mind. I would like to thank all you individually for your support and kindness. That total strangers would extend their sympathies to me and that a game was the catalyst is something amazing. Since my son passed I have struggled tremendously coming to terms with the new reality I am part of. I am humbled at the collective love and kindness shown to me - a total stranger - by the members of this community. It's been challenging to respond because I am overwhelmed.

It also seems as if he's starting to understand why his son liked World of Warcraft so much."One of the biggest regrets I have was not doing more to meet my son in his world," he wrote on Reddit. "I can clearly see what was so engrossing about the game," he wrote. "Thank you so very much. This means so much to me I can't accurately describe it."

http://np.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/2tqjyg/total_noob_no_clue_what_im_doing/

Love it when people are just plain awesome!

 

[Teelie]

Telemarketer alerts police to alleged assault 900 miles away

It's definitely strange news but it's also good news. Telemarketers actually contributed something positive to the world for once.

On a more serious note they did likely save this woman's life which is a good thing.

A telemarketer making a sales call from Las Vegas helped to end a domestic violence situation 900 miles away in Oregon on Wednesday evening, according law enforcement officials.

Chamille McElroy of Americare Health & Nutrition placed a call to a woman in Lebanon, Oregon, but instead of a "hello" she heard what sounded like a violent struggle on the other end of the line.

McElroy alerted her supervisor, Tina Garcia; then her boss Mario Gonzalez, CEO of Americare, stepped in. Gonzalez says he was walking around the sales floor when one of his managers asked him to listen to a call, and what he heard was very traumatic.

Call center workers say they heard a woman screaming for her life and yelling "please don't kill me," according to a press release from the Linn County (Oregon) Sheriff's Office.

"It just got progressively worse," Gonzalez told CNN affiliate KLAS in Las Vegas.

"We were not going to hang up this phone on the young lady," said Garcia. "As far as I was concerned, the people in that room -- we were the only lifeline."

Gonzalez was about to call Las Vegas police, but decided to look up local Oregon officials. He alerted the Linn County Sheriff's office, which dispatched personnel to check out the home.

"When deputies arrived on scene a female was heard calling for help, while a male voice could be heard saying 'quiet,' " according to the press release.

Deputies reported seeing 33-year-old Walter Warren John Ruck holding a woman from behind when they entered the home. Ruck let go of the woman, who was crying and grasping for air, according to officers.

Officials are not releasing the name of the victim. After an investigation, deputies learned the woman claimed she was physically assaulted and smothered with blankets and pillows during the alleged attack.

The victim told officials Ruck threatened her with a rifle, shoving the stock of the gun into her chest, according to the press release. She said she feared for her life and was convinced Ruck wanted to kill her and himself. The woman's cell phone was in her back pocket during the attack and she wasn't aware that someone called the police.

Gonzalez said the arresting officer called him back to thank him. Deputies credited Gonzales for intervening and possibly saving the woman's life.

Ruck was booked into the Linn County Jail on charges of assault, menacing and strangulation.

CNN reached out to Ruck's attorney, Mark Heslinga, for comment but has not heard back.

CNN

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Damn that's crazy. As a former telemarketer myself I can honestly say it is rare that one would do something to benefit someone like that. I know if that call had happened at my old place they would have just hung up and went to the next call

 

[regwec]

I too once worked in a call centre. I think they would have reprimanded the salesperson for deviating from the script, failing to make a pitch, and wasting time instead of moving on to another call.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Chris Pratt made good on Superbowl bet.

As promised, Star-Lord dropped by Christopher's Haven Children's Hospital in Boston along with a grizzled Captain America (noticeably out of uniform) to make good on his fulfillment of their much ballyhooed Superbowl bet. When the child in the header photo was introduced to Star-Lord, the toddler looked quizzically at the good-hearted space rogue, and asked, "Who?"

Here are some more pictures of the eventful day:

Those guys are so awesome! t:

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Police Departments Offer "Safe Lots" For Craigslist Transactions

You can find some great deals on bargain automobiles on Craigslist. However, recent stories about buyers and sellers being robbed or even killed illustrates the risk you take when dealing with an online stranger. Some police departments are responding by allocating a portion of their parking lot to ensure a safe sale.

According to NPR, Craigslist has updated its "safety" page to encourage buyers and sellers to, "Consider making high-value exchanges at your local police station." Across the country several Police departments are creating "safe lots" near their headquarters. These areas are well-lit, usually under video surveillance, and have police officers coming and going. It is a great way to discourage criminals from targeting people on Craigslist.

The Hartford Connecticut Police Department set up their "safe lot" in response to a spike in crime that has been connected to Craigslist transactions. The officers don't seem to mind working around different folks coming and going, selling autos, furniture, or other goods.

"If it's gonna prevent a robbery, if it's gonna prevent a homicide, if it's gonna make our citizens feel safe...We can live with it...We don't want it to become a flea market out there, but certainly it hasn't been a problem." - Chief of Detectives Brian Foley​

Boca Raton Police Chief Daniel Alexander says that the "safe lots" provide more than just a secure area to perform transactions; these places also foster positive interactions with the local police department. Often people come to the station under negative circumstances, the safe lots send the message that law enforcement is out to serve the community and prevent crime, rather than just write tickets and make arrests.

Hartford resident Mike Lion says that Craigslist should do more to encourage this type of transaction and that they should branch out to include smaller, less valuable items.

"I think it would open it up for a bigger customer base...Especially for someone who may be a mother or a woman who may not feel as comfortable selling or buying a product that way."​

Whether you complete your Craigslist deal at your local police station or elsewhere, it is important to meet in a public place, take every precaution you can, and trust your instincts.

http://carbuying.jalopnik.com/polic...-for-craigslist-tra-1694016349/+AnnaleeNewitz

This is a great idea

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

George Lucas Wants To Build Affordable Housing on His Skywalker Ranch

Having safely outsourced the Star Wars franchise, George Lucas can focus on his real estate projects. He’s got his museum in Chicago, and now, an affordable housing project proposed for his own Skywalker Ranch. Those who can’t afford San Francisco could live just over the Golden Gate Bridge in what’s otherwise one of the priciest places in California.

Lucas is proposing a 225-unit community on his 4,700 acre property in Marin County, which would make it one of the largest affordable housing projects in the region. According to The Wrap, Lucas made the following statement through his lawyer: “We’ve got enough millionaires here. What we need is some houses for regular working people.”

It’s no secret that San Francisco is mired in a serious housing crisis, with builders scrambling to squeeze more units into the expensive city. But there just isn’t a whole lot of vacant space: Now Oakland has even offered up a plan to let developers fulfill their affordable housing requirements by building over the bay. Lucas’s project would help alleviate the problem and allow those priced out of the city to live in a rather idyllic setting a short commute away.

But the real story for those who live in the Bay Area is that Lucas might be righting a few civic wrongs when it comes to real estate. In his deal to build the campus for the Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco’s Presidio, the city had to give up quite a bit of public space in the form of national parklands. (Which his one reason many in the city didn’t want his museum there.) He’s also tried to expand his Marin property before and was fought by residents in a bitter battle, so this move will also probably not play well with his neighbors.

Another important thing to consider: Lucas’s plan is likely a bit more on the self-serving side, rather than a purely altruistic proposal to help the non-millionaires of SF. The prime candidates to live in a development like this would be those who work on Skywalker Ranch, which would make this more like Facebook’s many affordable housing projects near its headquarters in Menlo Park. Of course they can’t control who moves in, but the units would be most attractive to creatives who are working all the time anyway, and can have their beds a few steps away.

http://www.thewrap.com/star-wars-cr...munity/?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

Another reason George rocks

 

[MoPlaYa]

Just got my tickets to BlizzCon!!!!! Thats Super Awesome good news!!!!

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

That's awesome. Take lots of pics and post them up on the Hype so we can check them out

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Hundreds Attend Little Girl’s Party After Classmates Turn Down Invite

Residents of a Minnesota town got together to help make a little girl’s birthday unforgettable when no one showed up to her party. After receiving “no’s” from every single classmate that was invited to her daughter’s 10th birthday party, a woman named Jenny Moretter turned to Facebook to air her grievances, resulting in 300 people showing up for the little girl’s celebration. Her daughter Mackenzie has a rare genetic disorder called Sotos Syndrome and has had trouble making friends at school.

According to USA Today, Moretter was hoping to get a small group to come by, but instead got a whole bunch more, including the family of Minnesota Vikings’ Charles Johnson. Local businesses donated food and beverages, while the town’s mayor proclaimed the day would be in her honor. I bet Mackenzie’s classmates are getting a bad case of FOMO now.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...-charles-johnson-mackenzie-moretter/26019497/

Man something like that just warms your heart. It also makes me remember how big a**holes little kids can be. It's awesome to know that this little girl had an amazing birthday without those little punks

 

[squeekness]

Nice to know there are still good people out there.

 

[regwec]

It's nice, but I find these massed social-media based responses to individual misfortune to be somehow troubling.

 

[Marvolo]

Hundreds Attend Little Girl’s Party After Classmates Turn Down Invite

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...-charles-johnson-mackenzie-moretter/26019497/

Man something like that just warms your heart. It also makes me remember how big a**holes little kids can be. It's awesome to know that this little girl had an amazing birthday without those little punks

I just looked up sotos syndrome. The syndrome can cause facial deformities and knowing how kids are I'm betting she gets picked on at school. Glad that a bunch of people turned up to give her a very special birthday. Her classmates missed out on some fun.

 

[RockSP]

What's FOMO?

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

fear of missing out

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

The Comcast-Time Warner Cable Merger Is Dead, Probably

The FCC is very likely to block Comcast and Time Warner Cable, the reigning Worst Company in America and Most Hated Company in America, from completing their $45.2 billion super-megamorph into The Worst, Most Hated Company in America, a source familiar with the deal told Bloomberg today. Hey Comcast, have you tried turning it off and rebooting it?

Wednesday’s meeting between Comcast and TWC lawyers and FCC officials was a major hurdle for the merger of two non-monopolies-but-only-on-a-technicality into to one actual monopoly with no incentive to improve its terrible customer service—a hurdle the companies didn’t clear, according to Bloomberg’s source.

Opposition from the FCC, which met on Wednesday with Comcast and Time Warner Cable executives, was stronger than the Justice Department’s and could be the bigger obstacle. The companies left the meeting with the impression the deal was in trouble, according to the person.​

FCC commissioners, feeling the merger wouldn’t be in the public interest, will reportedly order an administrative hearing, a rare move that’s been described as “ a death sentence” because it will very likely stretch out beyond Comcast’s window to close the deal.

“I’d never say anything was 100 percent dead, but this is in the 99 percent category,” Rich Greenfield, an analyst at BTIG in New York, told Bloomberg.

Comcast could choose to the fight the losing battle, but the structure of the deal includes no monetary penalty for walking away, so the company is expected not to throw any more time and money at the acquisition they spent more than a year trying to complete.

“Some Wall Street analysts now expect Comcast will walk away, abandoning 15 months of preparation while blaming the collapse of the merger on a Washington climate led by Democrats that is hostile to business.,” CNN Money reports.

If approved, the new company would’ve been far and away the largest cable provider in the U.S., with 20 million Comcast subscribers and 11 million TWC subscribers in its combined clutches and control of every major TV and cable internet market.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/23/media/comcast-merger-fcc-recommends-hearing/index.html

Thank God

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Swimming with a million fish looks like being in a teleportation tunnel

I’m not exactly sure I know what a teleportation tunnel actually is but I’d imagine it would look a lot like this. This being swimming with a million silverside fish in the ocean. It’s beautiful, like traveling through organic warp speed or being a part of a swarm from a sci-fi movie that’s about to swallow you or something.

GoPro:

William Mitchell takes an enchanting dive into an infinite sea of Silversides in Grand Cayman.​

[YT]poF-_lqwG3E[/YT]

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/swimming-...ooks-like-being-in-a-tele-1699753687/+megneal

Awesome, I love scuba diving. Haven't been in a long time though

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Who wins when a fire hose and a flamethrower shoot at each other?

Rock, paper, scissors. Paper beats rock, rock beats scissors, scissor beats paper. How do those holiest of rules apply to fire and water? Well, let’s blast a water hose at a flame thrower while the flame thrower is firing off at the water hose to find out. Guess who’s the winner?

Duh, it was water. But it was a close battle for a second there! And sometimes if you target it right, fire can win.

[YT]mJ5BLmjEUCQ[/YT]

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/who-wins-...a-flamethrower-shoot-at-e-1699649385/+megneal

A battle for the ages

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

The Apollo 13 astronauts and crew are now immortalized as Lego minifigs

If you didn’t live through the drama that was Apollo 13, you’ve probably seen the movie starring Tom Hanks. And even though the mission never made it to the moon, the Apollo 13 astronauts and crew are still considered heroes for getting back to earth safely. So of course they deserve to be immortalized as Lego minifigs.

April 10, 2015 was actually the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 13 near-disaster, and to commemorate the occasion UK-based Minifigs.me created tiny Lego versions of the three astronauts involved: James Lovell, Fred Haise, Jack Swigert. But also flight director Gene Kranz who played an important role in getting Apollo 13 home safely.

The astronauts are available in a set of three for about $57, or they can be purchased individually for about $20 each. A little pricey, but remember these aren’t officially from Lego. These are custom-made minifigs with highly-accurate spacesuits and likenesses as close to the real astronauts as possible.

The $24 Gene Kranz figure also comes with his iconic flattop haircut, and a tiny version of the Apollo 13 flight plan. And for Lego purists, all the figures can also be purchased with yellow instead of flesh-colored skin tones.

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-041015a-apollo13-lego-minifigures.html

You know you've made it when they make a minifig out of your likeness

 

[Teelie]

Who wins when a fire hose and a flamethrower shoot at each other?

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/who-wins-...a-flamethrower-shoot-at-e-1699649385/+megneal

A battle for the ages

Mythbusters did this a year or two ago and came to the same conclusion.

 

[Teelie]

Obama will restrict grenade launchers, military equipment from local police

This could easily have gone in the abuse of power thread except for once it is about the restriction of abuse, not the proliferation.t:

The Obama administration plans to prohibit federal agencies from providing to local cops certain kinds of military equipment such as grenade launchers, high-caliber weapons and bayonets, in the wake of controversy over a "militarized" police response to unrest last summer in Ferguson, Missouri.

The new prohibitions are part of an executive order President Barack Obama issued for federal agencies to review the types of equipment they provide to local and state police.

Obama plans to travel Monday to Camden, N.J., to highlight crime reduction and community policing tactics that the administration hopes can be a model around the country. A spate of officer-involved shootings and the deaths of African-Americans in confrontations with police has made policing an issue the administration is forced to grapple with.

Agencies including the Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security departments help provide equipment to local police.

The banned list includes: tank-like armored vehicles that move on tracks, certain types of camouflage uniforms, bayonets, firearms and ammunition of .50 caliber or higher, grenade launchers, and weaponized aircraft.

The presidential order will establish a "controlled equipment" list, with tightened requirements before federal agencies can transfer equipment to local cops. These will include riot control equipments and drones. Federal agencies will also require local police to provide more data so the government can better track equipment.

Local police can still bypass the federal restrictions and bans by buying the equipment from private sellers.

The President will visit the Camden Police Department where he will tour a tactical operation center, as well as meet with officers and young people from the community, according to Eric Schultz, Deputy Press Secretary.

On a conference call with reporters Sunday, Valerie Jarett, President Obama's senior advisor, said the President chose to visit Camden because its implementation of initiatives have already proven to help the once deeply troubled city.

"There is still work to be done in Camden and across the country," Jarett said. "It's more important than ever that communities look inward to build."

In December Obama signed an Executive Order to create the Task Force on 21st Century Policing to determine ways to strengthen public trust and better relationships between local law enforcement and communities.

The President, who has been vocal on the issue since unrest was seen following police incidents in Baltimore and Ferguson, will highlight how communities such as Camden are adopting recommendations made by a White House Task Force examining 21st Century Policing.

The Task Force released its final report Monday with a "blue print" for law enforcement and communities to utilize including recommendations of how to promote trust within the community, such as police embracing "a guardian- rather than a warrior" mindset to build legitimacy. Other recommendations include creating a diverse police workforce, implementing policies that reflect community values and better training for officers.

READ: Why body cameras don't solve everything

Earlier this month Obama announced a spin-off of his already-existing "My Brother's Keeper" initiative into a new, non-profit foundation to address the lack of opportunity that young minority boys face.

At the announcement of the initiative, President Obama said that blacks were getting pulled over by cops for "no reason", which has since angered some members of the law enforcement community.

CNN

 

[Canadian Rider]

Obama will restrict grenade launchers, military equipment from local police

This could easily have gone in the abuse of power thread except for once it is about the restriction of abuse, not the proliferation.t:

CNN

yeah. That makes sense.

 

[regwec]

The thought of a policeman having a grenade launcher boggles my mind.