Here’s How Many ‘Dislikes’ a Post on Facebook Needs to Be Removed

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364f5a8fe6703b4311d1f205293f8815Facebook released new information on its planned integration of a dislike button into user posts [last week] and it will likely be greeted with ambivalence. It appears that the dislike button will not just be for show, but will in fact be functional, effecting any post that reaches a certain threshold of dislikes received. The number being bandied around by Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook developers at the moment is ten dislikes, and receiving ten dislikes on your post will result in Facebook’s algorithms removing the post as being potentially disruptive and upsetting to fellow users.

“Facebook is about connections and bringing people together,” Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said regarding the upcoming changes, “and creating a space where people can interact in a safe and respectful manner. Occasionally our users are subjected to things that they find upsetting, are objectionable, and violate the community standards. Currently the mechanism we have in place to deal with this issue is the report option and function. It allows us to remove objectionable material, but requires us to maintain a large workforce to process post reports at great expense. It is also both cumbersome and slow. Many inappropriate and hurtful posts can remain up for extended periods of time before a moderator is able to examine the material of the post and remove it if necessary.”

“At the same time that we have this inefficient system of reporting we also have had user requests to integrate a dislike button into user posts for several years”, continued Zuckerberg. “We realized that by combining the two functions, reporting and the existence of a dislike button, that not only could we streamline the removal of objectionable material from Facebook but we could also achieve massive cost savings as the amount of employees needed to monitor and process reports was entirely eliminated. It’s a win for our shareholders as we increase profitability and it’s a win for users who will be able to police the potentially psychologically harmful material they are exposed to in real-time.” (Read more from “Here’s How Many ‘Dislikes’ a Post on Facebook Needs to Be Removed” HERE)

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Inside Ethel Kennedy’s Cruel Neglect of Her Troubled Kids

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Ethel Kennedy, Edward Kennedy, Ted KennedySince Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination on June 6, 1968, his widow, Ethel, has been his torchbearer. Unlike her late sister-in-law, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, she never remarried, never sought a path or identity that was hers alone. She held herself up as the martyr, the good Catholic widow left to raise 11 children alone, the empress of Hickory Hill . . .

In his new book, “RFK Jr.: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Dark Side of the Dream,” author Jerry Oppenheimer delves into Bobby’s upbringing — or lack thereof — to understand why the scion of our greatest political family has never accomplished much. Oppenheimer contrasts Bobby’s upbringing to that of John F. Kennedy Jr.

“John, after his father’s death, was brought up by a controlling and domineering mother, but one who obsessively looked out for his care and well-being,” he writes. “Bobby, [Kennedy’s son], after his father’s death, was essentially given up by his angry, widowed mother” . . .

Ethel was 40 and three months pregnant with her last child, daughter Rory, when her husband was assassinated. Bobby Jr. was 14, and one week after his father’s funeral, the family celebrated his brother’s 13th birthday. Bobby slipped laxatives into everyone’s drinks as a prank.

“Just leave home!” Ethel yelled at him. “Get out of my life!” (Read more from “Inside Ethel Kennedy’s Cruel Neglect of Her Troubled Kids” HERE)

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According to Research, Chimpanzees Love Horror Films [+video]

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Chimpanzee-TV-GettyHorror is possibly the most divisive film genres: people either absolutely love the thrills or can’t bear the thought of sitting through two hours of the Exorcist without breaking into a minor sweat.

According to researchers in Japan, Chimpanzees fall into the first group. When shown a ‘horror’ film, featuring an actor dressed as a King Kong attacking a human, the selected Chimps watched on intensely, neither covering their eyes nor accepting treats as they may distract from the viewing.

In the 40-second film, King Kong is taunted by a human on the other side of a cage. The ape then breaks free, attacking the human. The human then grabs a red hammer and precedes to hit King Kong. Frightening stuff.

The mini-film was shown twice to the Chimpanzees, 24 hours apart from each other, each time their eyes being tracked. On second showing, the red hammer changed locations. Watch the video below – the red dots represent where they are looking.

(Read more from “According to Research, Chimpanzees Love Horror Films” HERE)

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Mysterious Iridescent ‘End of Times’ Cloud Phenomenon Spotted in Costa Rica [+video]

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ht_crazy_cloud_lb_150917_12x5_1600An iridescent, multi-hued cloud phenomenon was recently spotted in Costa Rica skies, and residents were left awestruck and mystified.

The spectacle in the sky was reported this past Tuesday afternoon in numerous cities including, San Jose, Parrita, Pavas, Escazu and Hatillo. Coincidentally, the sighting occurred on the country’s Independence Day.

Many witnesses took to social media to post photos and video of the luminous cloud formation, with some even noting that it looked like an “end of times” scene.

Resident Joey Petit told ABC News today that he and his family were at the playground in Escazu for an Independence Day festival when his 11-year-old son, Ariel Joseph Petit first noticed the strange cloud.

“He immediately grabbed the camera and started taking video and photos,” he said. “We were just so amazed. We had no idea what it was and we’d never seen anything like it.” (Read more from “Mysterious Iridescent ‘End of Times’ Cloud Phenomenon Spotted in Costa Rica” HERE)

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This Company’s Ad-Blocking Software Could Threaten Free Internet

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Safari-browser[After Apple launched] its new software update for the iPhone, users [are offered] the chance to surf the mobile Web without annoying ads cluttering up their screen.

But Apple’s support for ad-blocking technology is ringing alarm bells on Madison Avenue, where critics warn it threatens not only the lifeblood of their business — but also the economic underpinnings of the free Internet.

“We don’t think ad blocking is right,” Scott Cunningham, senior vice president of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, told The Post.

The rise of ad blockers is one of the biggest sea changes to affect the Internet ad business in decades, Cunningham said. For years, publishers have made what they believe is a fair trade-off with readers.

“Advertising is the economic engine that drives the free Internet,” Cunningham said. “The reality is the last 20 years have seen people developing content online for distribution, and consumers have opted in for that free content.” (Read more from “This Company’s Ad-Blocking Software Could Threaten Free Internet” HERE)

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Restaurant Report Card Grades on Antibiotics in Meat Supply

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packaged-meatA new report is sounding the alarm about the use of antibiotics in the meat and poultry supply chains of the 25 largest U.S. fast food and “fast casual” restaurants.

Most top U.S. restaurant chains have no publicly available policy to limit regular use of antibiotics in their meat and poultry supply chains, according to the “Chain Reaction” report by Friends of the Earth, the Natural Resources Defense Council and four other consumer interest, public health and environmental organizations.

“When livestock producers administer antibiotics routinely to their flocks and herds, bacteria can develop resistance, thrive and even spread to our communities, contributing to the larger problem of antibiotic resistance,” the authors wrote in the report, which was released Tuesday. “The worsening epidemic of resistance means that antibiotics may not work when we need them most: when our kids contract a staph infection (MRSA), or our parents get a life-threatening pneumonia.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have repeatedly warned about the not-far-off public health threat of antibiotic resistance. The CDC estimates at least 2 million Americans contract antibiotic-resistant infections every year, and that 23,000 die as a result.

“A post-antibiotic era — in which common infections and minor injuries can kill — far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st century,” the WHO cautioned in a 2014 report. (Read more from “Restaurant Report Card Grades on Antibiotics in Meat Supply” HERE)

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After Banning Confederate Flags, Amazon Decided to Sell This Shocking Item

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635707604186072305-confederate-flag-stockA nationwide law enforcement coalition joined numerous social media activists this week in denouncing Amazon’s policy of selling anti-police merchandise. After stripping its virtual shelves of all items bearing Confederate markings following a fatal shooting in South Carolina, Amazon has come under fire for not similarly restricting access to products that promote hate or violence against cops.

The item that apparently sparked much of the backlash was a black T-shirt bearing the unedited phrase “F–k the Police” and simulated blood splatter.

“Social media has become a major source of propaganda for the anti-law enforcement movement,” wrote Michael Bouchard, president emeritus of the Major County Sheriff’s Association.

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After criticizing Facebook for allowing groups with anti-police messages, he lamented the fact that Amazon sells items “depicting the assassination of law enforcement officials” even as police deaths are occurring at a rate of roughly 10 per month.

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“The MCSA calls upon Facebook and Amazon to support the men and women who risk their lives everyday [sic] for the safety of their communities,” he concluded. (Read more from “After Banning Confederate Flags, Amazon Decided to Sell This Shocking Item” HERE)

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Now Arriving: Airport Control Towers With No Humans Inside

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Photo Credit: AP

Photo Credit: AP

Passengers landing at remote Ornskoldsvik Airport in northern Sweden might catch a glimpse of the control tower – likely unaware there is nobody inside.

The dozen commercial planes landing there each day are instead watched by cameras, guided in by controllers viewing the video at another airport 90 miles away.

Ornskoldsvik is the first airport in the world to use such technology. Others in Europe are testing the idea, as is one airport in the United States. While the majority of the world’s airports will, for some time, still have controllers on site, experts say unmanned towers are coming. They’ll likely first go into use at small and medium airports, but eventually even the world’s largest airports could see an array of cameras mounted on a pole replacing their concrete control towers. (Read more from “Now Arriving: Airport Control Towers With No Humans Inside” HERE)

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Bubonic Plague Case Confirmed in Michigan

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635778451378692012-bubonic-plagueA Michigan resident has contracted the rare, life-threatening bubonic plague — the first documented case in Michigan’s public health history, state officials confirmed.

The Marquette County adult is recovering after apparently contracting the flea-borne illness during a trip to Colorado. Officials are reassuring the public there is no cause for alarm, despite the disease’s connection to the microorganism that caused the Black Death plague in Europe in the 1300s, killing millions and reshaping history . . .

The bubonic plague, in fact, is notably marked by one or more swollen, tender and painful lymph nodes, usually in the groin, armpit or neck.

With the bubonic plague, people are most often infected by bites from infected fleas or when they have direct contact with the tissues or body fluids from an infected animal. The highest risk is in settings that offer food and shelter for rodents — campsites and cabins, for example, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

The Michigander’s case did not develop into the more contagious pneumonic form of the plague. Pneumonic plague may be passed between humans, infecting the lungs and causing a rapidly developing pneumonia that can lead to respiratory failure and shock, according to the CDC. (Read more from “Bubonic Plague Case Confirmed in Michigan” HERE)

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American Airlines Accidentally Flew the Wrong Plane From L.A. To Hawaii

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american-airlines-unitedIn late August, American Airlines accidentally flew the wrong plane from Los Angeles to Hawaii, a mix-up that violated Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

The mistake, first reported by aviation blogger Brian Sumers, occurred on Aug. 31 — just days after the airline began flying Airbus A321 planes on the L.A. to Hawaii route (other planes in American Airlines’ fleet have long flown this route).

A spokesman for the airline confirmed to The Washington Post that a version of the A321 plane that was not certified to make long flights over water — as on the route between Los Angeles and Hawaii — was accidentally flown that day.

The mistake was caught midway through the flight, Sumers reported, but a decision was made to continue to Hawaii. The airline canceled the return flight and the empty plane was flown back to Los Angeles.

“Immediately when we realize what happened, we notified the FAA and we are working and fully cooperating with them,” spokesman Casey Norton said. “We also have an ongoing, thorough review of our policies and procedures.” (Read more from “American Airlines Accidentally Flew the Wrong Plane From L.A. To Hawaii” HERE)

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