Society's ChildS


Bad Guys

'The Caliphate's Lion Cubs': ISIS resumes training child militias in US-established safe zone in Syria


FARS
Thu, 22 Mar 2018 20:38 UTC
The ISIL terrorist group has restarted training children for war and suicide operations in a region protected by the US and its allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Deir Ezzur in Southeastern Syria
© FNAThe ISIL terrorist group has restarted training children for war and suicide operations in a region protected by the US and its allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Deir Ezzur in Southeastern Syria, an Arab media outlet disclosed on Thursday
The Arabic-language al-Manar news website quoted sources affiliated to the Syrian government's armed opposition as saying that the ISIL has again set up a military base to train what it calls 'The Caliphate's Lion Cubs' in Southeastern Deir Ezzur near the border with Iraq.

Numerous reports have said in recent months that the ISIL is recruiting again in Syria with the US help to attack the Syrian army positions in Deir Ezzur and destabilize the country.

Al-Manar said the child militias training center has been set up under the supervision of the former commander of ISIL bases in Raqqa, Abu Mohammed al-Fransi, adding that a large number of Syrian and foreign children have been recruited in there.

Meantime, Alexander Ivanov, the spokesman of Russia's airbase at Humeimim, said that "real evidence" indicates that the ISIL will resume operations with the support of certain regional and trans-regional states.

Comment: See also: 'Cubs of the Caliphate' and the struggle for reintegration: Daesh-brainwashed children after liberation

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Network

Facebook takes another blow as South Korea accuses the network of unfair practices


RT
Thu, 22 Mar 2018 19:27 UTC
Mark Zuckerberg
© Stephen Lam / Reuters
As Facebook stock takes a beating over the data row at home, the US company is facing new troubles abroad. South Korea has accused the social network of unfair practices.

The Korea Communication Commission (KCC) on Wednesday slapped Facebook with a 396 million won ($370,000) fine for violating a law against damaging the interests of users. The KCC said the social media giant illegally limited user access to its services from late 2016 to 2017.

The complaint was made when subscribers of local telecommunication providers SK Broadband and LG Uplus began experiencing a slowdown in their Facebook connections.

Comment: MSM says Facebook is facing its biggest crisis ever and Zuckerberg is blowing it

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Arrow Up

Gender-neutral baby names are on the rise

Leanne Italie
AP
Wed, 21 Mar 2018 00:00 UTC
Baby
© The Healthy Mummy
Whether Royal, Charlie or Salem, Skyler, Justice or Oakley, unisex names for babies are on the rise among parents more willing than ever to embrace the possibility of gender fluidity in their children and attempt to head off sexism on their behalf.

"We're definitely seeing more conversation today around the distinction of a truly gender-neutral name," said Linda Murray, global editor-in-chief of BabyCenter.com . "This generation is truly interested in gender neutral names."

The Social Security Administration puts out a top 10 list of popular baby names every year based on its registrations, but it also keeps track of names on the rise in its top 1,000. Name-watchers said crossovers and more neutral names haven't overtaken the top spots but are more heavily represented in the broader ranking, especially among millennial parents.

Pop culture and honoring family or religious history are important in baby naming, as is the cool factor. But more names are being used for either sex regardless of which gender they were originally associated with, and neutral naming has become a flashpoint for debate.
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Chalkboard

University of Wisconsin to eliminate majors such as philosophy and history to focus on programs with 'clear career pathways'

Rebecca Savransky
The Hill
Thu, 22 Mar 2018 18:51 UTC
college
The University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point is reportedly discussing a plan to eliminate 13 majors including English, philosophy, history and Spanish.

The campus - one of 11 campuses in the University of Wisconsin system - would instead focus on programs that have "clear career pathways," The Washington Post reported.

Under the proposal, the school would expand areas such as marketing, management, graphic design and computer information systems - areas that "have demonstrated value and demand in the region," according to the school.

Comment: While the study of philosophy, history and foreign languages should be encouraged and included in the general curriculum, students need knowledge and skills that will enable them to graduate with more than a debt burden, prepared to enter the workforce as mature adults - which is a far cry from what many institutions of 'higher learning' are currently offering.

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Attention

Arizona woman dies from allergic reaction to live bee acupuncture

Cydney Henderson
azcentral
Wed, 21 Mar 2018 01:38 UTC
live bee acupuncture
A woman from Spain is dead after having an allergic reaction to a live bee acupuncture' procedure where bee stings are used instead of needles.

The 55-year-old patient was receiving a treatment to relieve tight muscles and stress, according to a case study in the Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology.

However, the session quickly went south when the woman "developed wheezing, dyspnea, and a sudden loss of consciousness immediately after a live bee sting."
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Black Magic

World gone crazy! Latvian performance artist stages cannibalism - slices flesh from people's bodies, fries it and feeds it to them in live Facebook stream

Jacob Dirnhuber
The Sun
Wed, 21 Mar 2018 12:12 UTC
cannibal performance

Cops in Latvia are now probing barmy Arturs Bērziņš's show after a flurry of complaints from disgusted viewers

This is the horrifying moment a crazed performance artist sliced flesh from the bodies of two assistants before frying it in a pan and FEEDING it to them on a bizarre live Facebook stream.

Cops in Latvia are now probing barmy Arturs Bērziņš's show after a flurry of complaints from disgusted viewers.

slicing
© Arthur Berzinsh : YouTubeBarmy artist Arturs Bērziņš sliced flesh from the backs of his assistants to make a point about human extinction

Comment: What the heck is it with people advocating for the normalization of cannibalism these days!?

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Eye 1

Facebook: Time to cut ties with this surveillance system?

Arwa Mahdawi
The Guardian
Tue, 20 Mar 2018 03:41 UTC
The Cambridge Analytica revelations may be the final nudge we need to turn away from the social network. And it's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to big tech harvesting private information

Facebook
© Piotr Malczyk/Alamy StockFacebook has displayed a remarkable lack of contrition in the immediate aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica revelations.

Sorry to break it to you, but you are probably a "dumb fuck". This is according to statements by a young Mark Zuckerberg anyway. Back in 2004, when a 19-year-old Zuckerberg had just started building Facebook, he sent his Harvard friends a series of instant messages in which he marvelled at the fact that 4,000 people had volunteered their personal information to his nascent social network. "People just submitted it ... I don't know why ... They 'trust me' ... dumb fucks."

Fourteen years later, the number of people who have trusted Zuckerberg with their data has grown from 4,000 to 2 billion. Zuckerberg has also grown, or so he would have you believe. In a 2010 interview with the New Yorker, the Facebook founder said he regretted those early messages. "If you're going to go on to build a service that is influential and that a lot of people rely on, then you need to be mature, right? I think I've grown and learned a lot."

When it comes to respecting and safeguarding the information people have given him, however, has Zuckerberg really learned that much? Recent events suggest not.

Comment: See also:

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Briefcase

Fired Atlanta Hawks employee sues team for discrimination against white people


RT
Thu, 22 Mar 2018 15:57 UTC
Atlanta Hawks
© Jason Getz / Reuters
Former Atlanta Hawks employee, Margo Kline, has filed a lawsuit against the basketball organization, alleging it cultivates discrimination against white people.

She also claims to have been fired after complaining about discriminative working conditions. Kline lost her job in March 2017 after spending five years with the club as the community development coordinator.

The fired woman said the Hawks External Affairs Director David Lee, who is black, fostered a culture of discrimination against white people, and especially white women.
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Piggy Bank

EU set to hit tech giants, such as Facebook and Google, with new taxes

Ravender Sembhy
The Independent
Wed, 21 Mar 2018 15:51 UTC
EU flags
© ReutersThe EU is cracking down on US tech giants
US tech giants such as Google, Facebook and Amazon are set to be hit with new taxes as part of a crackdown by the European Commission.

Under proposals tabled on Wednesday, which aim to ensure digital firms are taxed in a "fair and growth-friendly way", the Commission plans to impose a 3 per cent levy on revenues of the biggest players.

The tax would apply to sales from digital activities that "escape the current tax framework", and will affect companies with total annual worldwide revenues of at least €750m (£658m) and EU revenues of a minimum €50m.
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Stop

WhatsApp founder tells followers it's time to "Delete Facebook"

Alex Christoforou
The Duran
Wed, 21 Mar 2018 15:42 UTC
Brian Action Mark Zuckerberg
The knives are out.

Silicon Valley tech billionaires smell blood in the water. Are we seeing the beginning of the end for the giant spy social network Facebook?

WhatsApp co-founder, Brian Acton referenced the viral movement urging everyone to delete their Facebook account, "in the wake of recent revelations that the personal data of 50 million Facebook users was used without their permission by political data company Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 presidential campaign."

Zerohedge notes that we may be witnessing Facebook's MySpace moment...
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