Interesting News Items

[jcro21]

Voodoo Doughnut suspends eating challenge after man chokes to death at Denver store ? The Denver Post

[Keith]

We're getting into a headline list.

I appreciate it, but we need actual words if you don't mind.

[Sparrow]

FYRE FESTIVAL CHAOS

The first-ever Fyre Festival wasn’t supposed to be like this. Hyped as “the cultural experience of the decade,” the festival was supposed to launch the first of its two consecutive weekends Friday on a remote island in Fyre Cay in the Exumas, a string of islands in the Bahamas.

It turned out to be a massive disaster that had festival organizers canceling at the last minute and unhappy guests who’d paid thousands to attend blasting the whole thing as a fraud.

[OnmyojiOmn]

Facebook ads targeting Australian teenagers: Predatory advertising sparks outrage

FACEBOOK has come under fire over revelations it is targeting potentially vulnerable youths who “need a confidence boost” to facilitate predatory advertising practices.

The allegation was revealed this morning by The Australian which obtained internal documents from the social media giant which reportedly show how Facebook can exploit the moods and insecurities of teenagers using the platform for the potential benefit of advertisers.

The confidential document dated this year detailed how by monitoring posts, comments and interactions on the site, Facebook can figure out when people as young as 14 feel “defeated”, “overwhelmed”, “stressed”, “anxious”, “nervous”, “stupid”, “silly”, “useless”, and a “failure”.

Such information gathered through a system dubbed sentiment analysis could be used by advertisers to target young Facebook users when they are potentially more vulnerable.

While Google is the king of the online advertising world, Facebook is the other major player which dominates the industry worth about $80 billion last year.

But Facebook is not one to rest on its laurels. The leaked document shows it has been honing the covert tools its uses to gain useful psychological insights on young Australian and New Zealanders in high school and tertiary education.
Facebook targeting Australian children

The social media services we use can derive immense insight and personal information about us and our moods from the way we use them, and arguably none is more fastidious in that regard than Facebook which harvests immense data on its users.

The secret document was put together by two Australian Facebook execs and includes information about when young people are likely to feel excited, reflective, as well as other emotions related to overcoming fears.

“Monday-Thursday is about building confidence; the weekend is for broadcasting achievements,” the document said, according to the report.

Facebook did not return attempts by news.com.au to comment on the issue but was quick to issue an apology and told The Australian that it will conduct an investigation into the matter, admitting it was inappropriate to target young children in such a way.

“The data on which this research is based was aggregated and presented consistent with applicable privacy and legal protections, including the removal of any personally identifiable information,” Facebook said in a statement issued to the newspaper.

However there is suggestion that the research could be in breach of Australian guidelines for advertising and marketing towards children.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at his company's annual F8 developer conference in San Jose last month. Picture: Noah Berger

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at his company's annual F8 developer conference in San Jose last month. Picture: Noah BergerSource:AP

Many commentators have suspected Facebook engaged in this sort of cynical exploitation of the data it gathers but the leaked document is scarce proof.

Mark Zuckerberg’s company has not been shy about exploring ways it can manipulate the data it collects on users.

For one week in 2012, Facebook ran an experiment on some of its users in which it altered the algorithms it used determine which status updates appeared in the news feed of nearly 700,000 randomly selected users based on the post’s emotional content.

Posts were determined to be either negative or positive and Facebook wanted to see if it could make the selected group sad by showing them more negative posts in their feed. It deemed it could.

The results were published in a scientific journal but Facebook was criticised by those concerned about the potential of the company to engage in social engineering for commercial benefit.

Facebook’s Data Use Policy warns users that the company “may use the information we receive about you … for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research and service improvement.”

Currently information about your relationship status, location, age, number of friends and the manner and frequency with which you access the site is sold to advertisers. But according to the report, Facebook is also seeking to sell ads to users concerned with insights gleaned from posts such as those concerned with body confidence and losing weight.

[Sparrow]

a legend died last night the way he would have wanted to go. RIP Colonel

a little context, he slumps down over a floor monitor while little mister jams on his solo. nobody notices for two reasons: busy stage and Colonel was known to do weird shit so anybody who /did/ notice he was collapsed on the floor thought he was jokingly paying homage to said little mister in a fun Wayne's World kind of way.



Jam Band Icon Col. Bruce Hampton Dies at 70 During Birthday Concert

Jam band icon Col. Bruce Hampton (born Gustav Berglund III) died on Monday night (May 1) during a concert celebrating his 70th birthday at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Hampton passed away a few hours after collapsing onstage while performing the encore of "Turn on Your Lovelight" at the "Hampton 70: A Celebration of Col. Bruce Hampton" benefit concert in his honor.

[Los]

Freedom Caucus member Mo Brooks on CNN promoting Trumpcare, the new replacement for the Affordable Care Act. People with pre-existing conditions will be required to pay more into the insurance pool to reduce costs for people that lead good lives and are healthy. Somehow there will be an exception if if you have a medical condition through no fault of your own.

Rep. Mo Brooks: People who live 'good lives' should pay less for health insurance | AL.com

[OnmyojiOmn]

Poop bombs: Venezuelans? new weapon against riot police are ?poopootov cocktails? | Fox News

Demonstrators in Venezuela, now on their sixth week of protests against the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro, have reportedly started responding to police’s tear gas attacks with so-called “poopootov cocktails” — yep, glass bottles containing human excrement mixed with water.

[shoebootie]

White guy with cornrows & a "Vape Van" swears his anti-immigrant outburst caught on video "wasn't racist" Hoboken vape van owner: Anti-immigrant rant was not racist | NJ.com

[OnmyojiOmn]

https://www.local10.com/news/crime/m...ilty-of-murder

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A South Florida man who was on trial in the 2015 choking death of his girlfriend has been found not guilty of murder.

Richard Patterson, 65, of Margate, was acquitted Monday of second-degree murder. His attorney, Ken Padowitz, argued during trial that his client accidentally choked Francisca Marquinez, 60, during oral sex.

The jury heard closing arguments in the morning and deliberated for a few hours in the afternoon before returning the verdict.

Patterson did not testify. Instead, the defense called on Dr. Ronald Wright, a former Broward County medical examiner, who said it was possible that Marquinez could have choked during oral sex.

Padowitz told jurors that the medical examiner's autopsy report said the manner of death was undetermined.

Assistant state attorney Peter Sapak questioned why Patterson didn't call 911 right away and reminded jurors of testimony from an ex-girlfriend, who said he told her that he choked Marquinez. He also re-read a text message that Patterson's daughter said she sent him to him the day after Marquinez was killed.

"Your dad did something really bad last night," Sapak said, reading the text message Amanda Schneider said Patterson sent to her. "I'm so, so sorry."

Before the trial began, Padowitz filed a motion asking that the jury be allowed to see Patterson's penis, but the defense rested before Broward County Judge Lisa Porter made a decision.

Patterson hugged Padowitz after the verdict was announced.

[Lanfear]

Alanis Morissette's 'Jagged Little Pill' Musical Gets 2018 Debut | Hollywood Reporter

Created by Cody in close creative consultation with Morissette, the show's storyline revolves around a modern, multigenerational family and their complex dynamics, touching on issues of gender identity and race. Songs from Morissette’s groundbreaking album like “Ironic" and “Hand in My Pocket" will be performed in the musical, which will also feature melodies lifted from elsewhere in the singer's extensive body of work.