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A Cop Stops A Black Man For Walking With His Hands In His Pockets. Reasonableness Happens Next.

A police officer had reports of a suspicious black man walking down the street with his hands in his pockets. Seriously.

What happened next was probably the best possible outcome in the situation. The officer pulled out his phone and recorded too. And then they had a civil discussion about the ridiculousness of the situation. Had they not both filmed, it could have turned out differently. But recent research found, in Rialto, California, for example, that using body cams decreased citizen complaints by 88% and use of force dropped 59%. If every interaction were as calm as this one, imagine the amount of trust that could be earned on both sides.

All he did was walk down the street while black. In the cold. With his hands in his pockets. Because of the aforementioned cold. The police were called because of that. Wrap your brain around that. It's ridiculous. B Mckean, the guy behind the camera, was rightfully frustrated with the whole situation. He has to deal with things I don't have to deal with every single day.


Respect is a two-way street. This officer actually listened and took the call with the amount of skepticism it deserved.

UPDATE: Since this was published, there's been a news development. Charges were not brought against the police officer who was implicated in Eric Garner's death after being filmed using a banned choke hold. Had he been wearing a camera himself, he might have shown some restraint. But sadly, cameras will not fix everything. They are only one tool in a larger overhaul we need in how we police and communicate as a country.

We need to have independent prosecutors who aren't connected to police. Our district attorneys shouldn't have to — nor are they often able to — judge the case with an impartial ear. They rely on those police for help in other cases. Neither the officers nor the prosecutor should be put into an adversarial position with each other. It helps keep everything on the up and up. And seeking a special prosecutor leaves less doubt about whatever conclusion they come to. Recusal is a good thing that keeps things transparent.

We also need to change police priorities. Most of the cases that the officer in questions dealt with involved low-level misdemeanors for things like smoking pot (which is now legal in some states). And the officer had a history of being aggressive. If his superiors had better priorities, he might not ever have had cause to interact with Eric Garner in the first place.

Fixing the state we’re in right now obviously has to involve more than just adding cameras and independent prosecutors. What else can help us fix this cycle we're trapped in?

But I digress.

Thankfully, B McKean and the officer in this video both handled the situation professionally and courteously (even with the awkward high-five.) We need more officers behaving this way. This was a tiny step in the right direction, but it really should be the status quo. We need more trust and respect from those in power for those folks who aren't in power. Otherwise those who aren't will never be able to give the police any trust or respect. And we'll be back where we started.

So more cameras for everyone, more transparency for everyone, and better police and citizen relations for all.

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Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

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Image by Tax Foundation.

Map represents the value of 100 dollars.

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The Tax Foundation addressed many of these shortcomings using the most recent (2015) Bureau of Economic Analysis data to provide a familiar map of the United States overlaid with the relative value of what $100 is "worth" in each state. Granted, going state-by-state still introduces a fair amount of "smoothing" into the process — $100 will go farther in Los Angeles than in Fresno, for instance — but it does provide insight into where the value lies.

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Family posts a very chill note to neighbors explaining why their dog is on the roof

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via Reddit

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All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

Some good not so good moments with babies.



Embarrassing stains on your T-shirt, sniffing someone's bum to check if they have pooped, the first time having sex post-giving birth — as a new mom, your life turns upside-down.

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3,700-year-old Babylonian stone tablet gets translated, changes history

They were doing trigonometry 1500 years before the Greeks.

via UNSW

Dr. Daniel Mansfield and his team at the University of New South Wales in Australia have just made an incredible discovery. While studying a 3,700-year-old tablet from the ancient civilization of Babylon, they found evidence that the Babylonians were doing something astounding: trigonometry!

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One the more mysterious aspects of being human is our sense of intuition. This "sixth sense" isn't something we can see or measure, but many people have experienced it in some form or fashion. Maybe it comes as a strong feeling that something isn't right, or that we or someone else should or shouldn't do something. It can be hard to read—not every feeling we get is truly our intuition—but there are plenty of examples of people trusting their instincts and being glad they did.

One such story has gone viral on TikTok. Jessica Higgs, a mom who works as an Instacart grocery delivery person, shared a story in an emotional video that illustrates the importance of listening to that inner voice when it prompts you to make sure someone is OK.

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