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Local sports: RMS, A-TMS win County League titles – Asheboro Courier Tribune

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

staff reports

TRINITY The Randleman Middle School boys basketball team beat Southeastern Randolph 44-30 Saturday to capture the Randolph County League Tournament title. Nathan Cassidy paced RMS (15-2) with 24 points, while Naheim Lilly added nine. For SERMS, Avery Jones had nine points and Zade Brower seven. In the girls championship, Archdale-Trinity defeated RMS 45-33 after the two finished as regular-season co-champions. Kennedy Powell paced A-TMS (15-2) with 21 points, while Taylor Comer added nine. For RMS (14-3), Malea Garrison had 23 points with Gracyn Hall chipping in 10. Faith grabs two vs. Gospel Light RAMSEUR The Faith Christian School basketball teams hosted Gospel Light on Friday night for a quadrupleheader with the Eagles grabbing two wins. Faith won the varsity girls game 45-15 to improve to 16-3. Ashley Avelino scored 13 points, while Nicole Sheron and Kayla Langley each added 11 points. GL won the varsity boys game 62-35. Colby Smith paced the Eagles (4-12) with 10 points, and Jordan Cassell added nine. Faith won the jayvee girls game 26-19. Alexis Blakley led the Eagles (7-6) with 13 points, and Taylor Brady chipped in five. GL won the jayvee boys game 37-31 as Faith fell to 8-6 on the season. Braxton Allen led the Eagles with 10 points, and Justin Edmisten added eight. SWR Alumni Game set for Feb. 25 ASHEBORO The Southwestern Randolph Alumni Basketball game is slated for Saturday, Feb. 25, with action starting at 5:30 p.m. with the 3-point contest and the womens game set for 6 p.m., followed by the mens game. Twenty women and 20 men are needed for the games and participants must have graduated in 2014 or before. The 3-point contest is first come, first serve to the first seven male and female participants. The contest has a $10 entry fee with prizes for winners. All men interested in playing should contact boys varsity coach Matt Kiser at 336-302-6614 or mkiser@randolph.k12.nc.us. All women interested in playing should contact girls varsity coach Jarret Elliott at 336-302-3587 or jelliott@randolph.k12.nc.us. The cost to attend is $5 and concessions will be available during both games.

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Local sports: RMS, A-TMS win County League titles - Asheboro Courier Tribune

Trump’s right-wing political correctness makes us less safe – Daily Kos – Daily Kos

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

So why did Trump enact these measures, in particular given that numerous experts believe they will weaken, not strengthen, our national security? Feelings. Nothing more than ...sorry. Trump, and many other Republicans, have long sought to fire up their base with charges that, for example, President Obama wouldnt use the words radical Islam when talking about terrorist acts committed by Muslims. That was 100 percentabout politics, about playing on fear to gin up anger.

Obama, like George W. Bush before him, made a sober, strategic assessment that not saying those words would make us safer, stronger, and help us in the fight against ISIS, al Qaeda, and other terrorist groups acting in the name of Islam. Would you like to know who else agrees with Obama and Bush, and thinks Trump is just plain wrong? Vladimir Putin:

I would prefer Islam not be mentioned in vain alongside terrorism, he said at a news conference in December, answering a question about the Islamic State, a group he often refers to as the so-called Islamic State, to emphasize a distinction with the Islamic religion.

At the opening of a mosque in Moscow in 2015, Mr. Putin spoke of terrorists who cynically exploit religious feelings for political aims.Terrorists from the so-called Islamic State are compromising a great world religion, compromising Islam, sowing hatred, killing people, including clergy, and added that their ideology is built on lies and blatant distortions of Islam.

He was careful to add, Muslim leaders are bravely and fearlessly using their own influence to resist this extremist propaganda.

Putin is an authoritarian thug, to be sure. I am loathe to cite him for, well, anything. The point is that if he, Bush, and Obama all agree on which approach works best on this issue, that says something. What it says is that Trumpno doubt influenced by his own personal Rasputin, i.e., Steve Bannon, is pursuing a policy that makes the American people less safe. Hes doing so because it makes a segment of his base feel good, feel like they are the ones whose ideas are in charge. Its nothing more than right-wingpolitical correctness.

Along similar lines, Judge James Robarts order that blocked Trumps travel ban gave him another opportunity to play to the emotions of his base. He attacked the judge, and thus the constitutional principle of an independent judiciary, in incendiary terms. The clear message hes able to send is that he wants to keep you safe, but the establishment just wont let him.

If Democrats want to beat Trump, its not enough to talk only about the fact that his policies are immoralas important as that is. People are scared of terrorism, specifically coming from Muslims, especially after San Bernadino and Orlando. From the perspective of political strategy, to deny that reality is unhelpful to say the least. We must talk about morality and American values, but we also have to talk about effectiveness.

Like it or not, there are Americans who are willing to sacrifice their morality for their safety. We can convince them that Trump is making them and their loved ones less safe by targeting Muslims with his policies, and that hes doing so in a cynical way to appeal to their fears and win their votes. In a close election, that could make the difference between a one-term failed Trump presidency that discredits everything he stands for, and a re-election that is painful to evencontemplate.

Ian Reifowitz is the author of Obamas America: A Transformative Vision of Our National Identity (Potomac Books).

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Trump's right-wing political correctness makes us less safe - Daily Kos - Daily Kos

Spicer Says Religious Liberty Is Getting ‘Pushed Out’ By Political Correctness – TPM

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

"Some Americans see religious liberty as code for discrimination," a reporter asked Spicer at a daily briefing. "Can you comment, give us a sense of how the President views this tension?"

"I think there is a line," Spicer said."I think people should be able to practice their religion, express their religion, express areas of their faith without reprisal. And I think that pendulum sometimes swings the other way in the name of political correctness."

He said that "too often" small business owners and employees are not allowed to express their faiths.

"Too often those voices get pushed out in the name of political correctness," Spicer said. "So he is going to continue to make sure that we not only speak up for it but find ways in which we can keep that line a little less blurred and make sure that the pendulum doesn't swing against people."

"If you could give us an example, if you could, of a pendulum swinging in the direction of political correctness?" a reporter asked.

"I think if you look back to the Little Sisters case, if you look back to other businesses that were under Obamacare" Spicer began.

"Would you put Hobby Lobby in that category?" the reporter pressed.

"I would, yeah, absolutely," Spicer said. "I think there is several businesses and several institutions, Catholic institutions and others, that have been mandated or apparently attempted to mandate certain things that they may or may not do or how they have to treat their employees."

He said those are "instances where clearly the pendulum is swinging a different way" as an effect of federal "regulations and policies that have frankly denied people the ability to live according to their faith."

The two cases he cited both involved institutions which brought lawsuits challenging the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate on the basis that it ran counter to Christian beliefs.

In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that "closely held" for-profit corporations such as Hobby Lobby cannot be forced to abide by Obamacare's mandate to cover contraception for female employees in their insurance plans at no extra cost.

And in May 2016, the Supreme Court sent Zubik v. Burwell, a consolidation of cases brought by religious nonprofits including The Little Sisters of the Poor, back to lower courts.

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Spicer Says Religious Liberty Is Getting 'Pushed Out' By Political Correctness - TPM

Lawrence Modisett: Need for political correctness still holds true – The Providence Journal

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

I am writing in response to Thomas Dentons Feb. 2 letter, Politically incorrect crowd doesnt grasp the new rules. Mr. Denton suggests that outside of the Northeast and California, political correctness has taken on a new meaning. He concludes by asking, in a rather mocking tone, How do you like being politically correct now?

Here is my answer. The phrase politically correct may invite ridicule, but the intent behind it should never be a subject for mockery, particularly in our country. Simply stated, the intent is to encourage respect for the feelings of others. It means trying to avoid words and actions that imply that someone who is different in some way is therefore less valued as a human being. Put another way, it means following what Christians refer to as the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. This principle has its counterpart in every major religion.

Contrary to what Mr. Denton implies, I believe the majority of Americans still value this rule, including the majority of those who voted for Mr. Trump.

In todays turbulent political environment, it is more critical than ever to hold true to this sacred principle and defend it whenever it comes under attack.

Lawrence Modisett

Portsmouth

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Lawrence Modisett: Need for political correctness still holds true - The Providence Journal

Boy Scouts ruined by political correctness: Your Say – USA TODAY

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

USA TODAY 5:03 p.m. ET Jan. 31, 2017

Cub Scouts in New York's Times Square.(Photo: Mary Altaffer, AP)

The Boy Scouts of America announced Monday that, effective immediately, it will accept and register transgender youth into its organization. Facebook comments are edited for clarity and grammar:

How long before any one of the new gender types sues to change the name from Boy Scouts of America to Snowflake Scouts?

Jackson Wilson

Its called Boy Scouts of America for a reason. Just start another one called the misinformed!

Stanley Baker

First you begin to wobble, then you fall. The U.S. is on a downward trajectory. There is no good that can come from supporting this kind of recognition from the Boy Scouts.

I think it is child abuse to allow a child to pretend to play the role of the opposite sex, and it is even worse when parents and school officials support and encourage it.

A child living under my roof will follow my rules, until he is of legal age and can live on his own. Thats the way it has always been. That is what a normal parent would do. But we live in a very sick society today. Parents do not want to parent, they want to be a childs friend.

Larry Hubble

USA TODAY

Policing the USA

I agree that forcing a child to play the role of the opposite sex is bad. But transgender children have been forced to pretend to be something they are not for a very long time.

It is time for that nonsense to stop, and let trans children be who they are without having to pretend to be someone they are not.

Bryan Oakley

As an Eagle Scout, Im proud of this decision from Boy Scouts. It was long overdue.

Andy Linn

This is absolutely sickening. It seems like every parent wants his child to grow up a fruitcake.

Politically correct culture is destroying American youth and emasculating our young men. Get some guts and stand up to this liberal agenda.

Edgar Fuss

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Boy Scouts ruined by political correctness: Your Say - USA TODAY

Letter: Political correctness has gone too far – The Herald-News

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

To the Editor:

Heres an update on an old joke I heard in the early sixties. Two politically correct people were on a dude ranch watching two horses in the corral.

One said he favored the taller horse to ride. The other asked if he thought the taller one was the one on the left or right. The first P.C. man said the taller one was on the right. The second man said he thought the black one on the left was taller than the white one on the right.

If that sounds silly, think about the white singer or actor in a Popeyes restaurant. One server asked another who was next. The second said the white boy was. In the sea of black faces it was the obvious remark to make.

Isnt it silly to make a big deal out of trying to differentiate who is next by the color of skin and not by the color of socks or height? I say political correctness has gone too far when you cant use skin color to identify a person. Thats why the news gives a detailed description of a criminal people should be looking for and leaves out skin color.

Chuck Johnson

Morris

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Letter: Political correctness has gone too far - The Herald-News

Political correctness exists to build respect for the oppressed – Kenyon Collegian

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Being considerate of others identities does not need to conflict with discussion of issues.

Dear Griffin,

My names Isabella. I am Latinx, brown, queer, genderqueer and Im writing to you not in anger, but in concern that your piece (Political correctness silences vital discourse) in the last issue of the Collegian (1/26) is irresponsible and reflects a lot of the dangerous mental slippery slopes white people can sometimes get themselves into.

Political correctness isnt a term used by the liberals you condemn in your article. We just call it respect. But if you need an explanation as to why we ask for certain things, here it is: What you call PC culture did not rise out of collective over-sensitivity and inability to discuss issues that are difficult or contentious. What you condemn is actually just a call for respecting peoples identities and how they intersect with each other. Its a way to protect marginalized peoples from the very real dangers they face every moment of their lives.

Example: Have you ever hesitated to respond to the professor in class because racism, sexism, queerphobia or transphobia, colonialism, etc. have made you believe that you cannot take up the intellectual space that straight, cis, white people always have access to?

Have white men ever yelled the n-word at you as they celebrate Trumps victory?

Have you ever been called a spik twice in two weeks for speaking your native tongue? Once in front of dozens of students in Ascension while you were on the phone with your mother? Is your family living under a colonial dictatorship in Puerto Rico?

Have you ever been afraid of speaking your native tongue?

Have you ever had to live in a world that was not built for you? Had to plan every move because you are not able-bodied? Have you ever been laughed at, gawked at, torn apart for your disability or neurodiversity?

Have you ever had to wonder when your next meal would be? Have you ever had to give up your medication because you can no longer afford it?

Have you ever wondered if youll be able to finish your degree?

Have you been walking and feared someone attacking you for your race, for being a woman, for your gender identity, for being with your samesex partner or for wearing a hijab? Do you see your friends and family being brutalized in the news by police, white supremacists, etc., and then see the news blame your community for making people want to hurt you?

Do you have to constantly remind yourself that you dont deserve to be hurt?

Has someone ever told you that youre making up your gender? That your pronouns are wrong when they are a radical act of self-love? Of letting yourself be the person, the gender, you are?

Have you ever feared deportation? Have you ever stayed up at night wondering if the life you have built is going to be taken away from you by immigration forces that storm into your house and take you and your family away?

This is why marginalized people need PC culture. PC culture is us reminding ourselves that we matter. That were worth as much as straight, cis, white people are. That we dont deserve to be beaten down every day. So when we identify ourselves as Latinx, as queer, as trans, as brown or black, as immigrants, as Muslims, as disabled, etc., and ask other people to respect us, it is not from a place of fear. Were not afraid to talk about difficult topics. We live those difficult topics every day. When we identify ourselves, were telling the world that, in spite of it all, we love ourselves and demand the same love and respect everyone else gets everyday.

If we survive fighting everyday against a system that wants us dead, alone, mangled or converted, sick and tired and still succeed in this school, then its time we reevaluate who the fragile one is.

As a fellow Kenyon student, if I can take the time to educate myself and respect your identity, you can take the time to educate yourself about our identities. And maybe, if you learned something in the process, you would understand why were angry.

With respect,

Isabella Bird-Muoz 18

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Political correctness exists to build respect for the oppressed - Kenyon Collegian

Spicer says ‘political correctness’ infringes on ‘freedom of religion’ – Washington Post

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Washington Post

Spicer says 'political correctness' infringes on 'freedom of religion'
Washington Post
February 2, 2017 3:14 PM EST - White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Feb. 2 said that Americans who wish to express their religious views sometimes tend to be prevented from doing it in the name of political correctness. (Reuters) ...

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Spicer says 'political correctness' infringes on 'freedom of religion' - Washington Post

20 years after Dolly the sheep, human cloning is no closer – Genetic Literacy Project

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

On July 5, 1996, after 276 failed attempts, a team of scientists at the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh achieved something remarkable:Theymanaged to clone a sheep.

After seeing her, the media went wild, quickly incitinghysteria about what would come next. If scientists knew how to clone a sheep, how soon would it be before they started cloning humans?

Over the last two decades, a number of different animals have been cloned in the same waycows, horses, cats, dogs, pigs. Despite the success in cloning various mammals through nuclear transfer, cloning is still very difficult to pull off. The process is prone to introducing genetic errors, which results in many cloned offspring dying young.

These days, Alta Charo, a professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin, said no one is really researching reproductive cloning for humans. Its simply too inefficient and error prone to make it worthwhile.Some researchers have suggested cloning technology could be used to rebirth lost children or prevent disease, but Charo said no one has filed an application with the Food and Drug Administration to get started onthis kind of research.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:Twenty Years After Dolly the Sheep, Were No Closer to Cloning Humans

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20 years after Dolly the sheep, human cloning is no closer - Genetic Literacy Project

Don’t fall for this Facebook cloning scam | WFLA.com – WFLA

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

WTEN Published: February 5, 2017, 10:47 am Updated: February 5, 2017, 10:47 am

NASHVILLE, Tenn.(NEWS10) Facebook scammers are targeting users by making fraudulent or fake profiles trying to obtain personal information.

Scammers use information on someones Facebook profile and create a new account with that persons information and photos. The scammer will then add that persons family and friends.

Security experts at the Identity Theft Resource Center say the scammers use the connections to find out as much information about the victim or their friends. They may send messages containing malware links to steal personal information.

Experts say the scammers are after personal information, contacts, account information, or access PC or phones.

If you suspect suspicious activity contact your friend or family member and Facebook so they can take the profile down.

Telltale signs that an account may be fake or fraudulent is not having a cover photo, few mutual friends, and limited account activity.

WFLA.com provides commenting to allow for constructive discussion on the stories we cover. In order to comment here, you acknowledge you have read and agreed to our Terms of Service. Commenters who violate these terms, including use of vulgar language or racial slurs, will be banned. Please be respectful of the opinions of others and keep the conversation on topic and civil. If you see an inappropriate comment, please flag it for our moderators to review.

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Don't fall for this Facebook cloning scam | WFLA.com - WFLA

Beware of ‘Facebook Cloning’ | KGW.com – kgw.com

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Beware of "Facebook Cloning"

Patrick Wright, WXIA 8:57 PM. PST February 01, 2017

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Most Facebook friend requests come from actual friends, but some are from anonymous people with ulterior motives. And, if you fall for their tricks, it could cost you.

Some hackers are using a tactic called "Facebook Cloning." They steal your Facebook name, add your friends and use your photos to clone your account. Then, they use the fake account to approach your friends and family online.

"Maybe theyre trying to get you to send them money," said Danielle Hatfield, owner of Experience Farm. "However, other scammers are trying to do something a little more nefarious, and thats steal your identity."

Hatfield says the clonersmight even check your statuses to learn to mimic your style of communication.

"When they finally get around to the scam of maybe asking for money, your friends and family will fall for it.," Hatfield said.

Patrick Wright's great aunt fell victim to Facebook cloning.

"I get upset because this is about the third time this has happened," Yvonne Allen said.

A fake account, made to look like Allen's, reached out to Patrick on Facebook Messenger. The user told him they'd received a $50 million grant from the government and wanted to share the news of how others could get their own.

"I didnt receive anything! If they want to send me $50 million, Ill take it," Allen laughed.

RELATED |Decode your children's texting slang

Hatfield says, if you come across an account you aren't sure is real, just search it on Facebook to see if you're already friends with that person. If they send you a questionable post or link, give them a call or text message and ask if it's really them. If the account is fake, report it to Facebook immediately.

If your account gets cloned, Hatfield says you should change your password, warn others, and then check your privacy settings to make sure only friends can view your profile.

Common text/social media acronyms

( 2017 WFMY)

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Beware of 'Facebook Cloning' | KGW.com - kgw.com

Facebook cloning debunked – The i newspaper online iNews – iNews

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Warnings about Facebook cloning have been circulating on the platform (Getty)

Facebook users may be seeing posts from their friends warning them about Facebook cloning. Some concerned account holders are urgingothers not to accept a second friend request from accounts purporting to belong to them.

The warning might look something like this:

Heads-up!! Almost every account is being cloned. Your picture and your name are used to create a new face book account (they dont need your password to do this this). They want your friends to add them to their Facebook account. Your friends will think that its you and accept your request. From that point on they can write what they want under your name. I have NO plans to open a new account. Please DO NOT accept a 2nd friend request from me. Copy this message on your wall.

Or this:

HEADS UP: I have been hacked. There is a new hack on Facebook. It includes trying to befriend you, asking for money, or wanting to give you money, and or hurtful phrase coming from you to one of your contacts. Its very dirty and it appears that you have written it. You do not see it but your friends do. This situation can create many misunderstandings. I would like to say to all my contacts that if something shocking appears, it absolutely does NOT come from me and I would be grateful if you let me know. Thank you very much! HEADS UP!!!! Almost every account is beingcloned. Your picture and your name are used to create a new face book account (they dont need your password to do this this). They want your friends to add them to their Facebook account. Your friends will think that its you and accept your request. From that point on they can write what they want under your name. I have NO plans to open a new account. Please DO NOT accept a 2nd friend request from me. Copy this message on your wall.

Some elements of the warnings are true. But some are false:

It is true that scammers can usepeoples names and profile pictures to create a second, fake account under the same name. This has been happening for a while.

It is true that the fake account can then send friend requests to your friends the scammers can see Friends lists if they are public who might accept.

It is true that the scammers behind the fake account could post, leading friends that have accepted the request to believe the posts are genuine.

It is not true thatFacebook cloning is a hack. The word hack implies that someone has gained unauthorised access to your account. Actually the scammersare just using information that is public to create the second account.

It is not true that almost all accounts are being affected. Facebooks1.79 billion monthly active users are unlikely to have all had their accounts cloned.

So what is happening?

Scammers are creatingfake accountsin existing users names. The more information that a user has madepublic, the more genuine the fake account can seem.

People who accept friend requests from the fake account, believing that it genuinely belongs to their friend, might be at risk.The Hoax-Slayer warns that scammers, using a more elaborate scam, might be able to draw money out of friends. Identity theft is also a possible consequence, the website says.

What canI do?

Make your Facebook account as private as possible. Using the privacy shortcuts button in the Facebook masthead, you can check what others can see.

You can also hide your Friends list to deny the scammers this information.

You can find out how to report a cloned account to Facebookhere.

If you want information about the timeline from the account that was impersonating you, check out Facebooks advice here.

If you receive a friend request from someone who you think you may already be friends with, double check before accepting it.

Facebook considers cloned accounts to be a violation of its policies. The site has experts focused on identifying fake profiles and is continuously building and updating tools to tackle the problem.

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Facebook cloning debunked - The i newspaper online iNews - iNews

Beware of Facebook ‘cloning’ scam – USA TODAY

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

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USA Today Network Patrick Wright, WFMY-TV, Greensboro, N.C. Published 8:37 p.m. ET Feb. 2, 2017 | Updated 1:26 a.m. ET Feb. 3, 2017

Facebook is on track to hit 2 billion users this year.(Photo: Loice Venance, AFP/Getty Images)

GREENSBORO, N.C. Most Facebook friend requests come from actual friends, but some are from anonymous people with ulterior motives. Falling for their tricks could cost you.

Some hackers are using a tactic called Facebook cloning. They steal your Facebook name, add your friends and use your photos to clone your account. Then they use the fake account to approach your friends and family online.

"Maybe theyre trying to get you to send them money," said Danielle Hatfield, a social media expert and owner of Experience Farm. "However, other scammers are trying to do something a little more nefarious, and thats steal your identity."

Hatfield said the cloners might even check your statuses to learn to mimic your style of communication.

"When they finally get around to the scam of maybe asking for money, your friends and family will fall for it," Hatfield said.

USA TODAY

Facebook on track to hit 2 billion users this year, analyst predicts

Hatfield said that if you come across an account you aren't sure is real, just search it on Facebook to see if you're already friends with that person. If they send you a questionable post or link, give them a call or text message and ask if it's really them. If the account is fake, report it to Facebook immediately.

If your account gets cloned, Hatfieldsaid you should change your password, warn others, and then check your privacy settings to make sure only friends can view your profile.

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Beware of Facebook 'cloning' scam - USA TODAY

Facebook scam lets hackers clone your account and STEAL money … – Express.co.uk

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

FACEBOOK GETTY

Facebook users should be on the lookout for a new scam that involves stealing your identity.

Using a process known as "cloning", cybercriminals copy your name and profile pictures in order to set-up a brand-new but from the outside, identical Facebook account.

To make their cloned account appear as real as possible, scammers will even replicate your personal information and past status updates.

When the fake account is finished, the online criminals impersonate you and send friend requests to your friends and family.

The scam works because your nearest and dearest assume the Facebook account is genuine, and trust they are talking to you.

GETTY

A worrying number of users have reported false Facebook accounts asking for money after building up a level of trust and even engaging in conversations while pretending to be the true account holder.

While cloning is more sophisticated than some traditional online scams, the techniques used by these online scammers to fleece friends and family out of money can be a little rudimentary.

Some users have reported incidents of these cloned accounts claiming to have received a $50 million grant from the US government and they want to share the news on how others can receive the same.

One of the people whos account has been cloned for such uses is Yvonne Allen.

Getty

1 of 24

Facebook is the number one app. Every second 20,000 people are on Facebook

She told American media: I get upset because this is about the third time this has happened.

I didnt receive anything. If they want to send me $50 million, Ill take it."

Maybe theyre trying to get you to send them money, however other scammers are trying to do something a little more nefarious and thats steal your identity, Danielle Hatfield, owner of web hosting service Experience Farm warned.

When they finally get around to the scam of maybe asking for money, your friends and family will fall for it.

Its advised that Facebook users who believe theyre being targeted by what they suspect is a false account should simply search the social network to see if theyre already friends with the person theyre getting additional friend requests from.

Another way to protect yourself from Facebook cloning is to ensure your privacy settings are cranked up to 10 and only your approved friends can see your account.

Last month, aFacebook scam started doing the rounds claiming the social network was about to start charging users.

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Facebook scam lets hackers clone your account and STEAL money ... - Express.co.uk

Beware Of ‘Facebook Cloning’ | 9news.com – 9NEWS.com

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Patrick Wright, WVEC 8:53 AM. MST February 01, 2017

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Most Facebook friend requests come from actual friends, but some are from anonymous people with ulterior motives. And, if you fall for their tricks, it could cost you.

Hatfield says the clonersmight even check your statuses to learn to mimic your style of communication.

"When they finally get around to the scam of maybe asking for money, your friends and family will fall for it.," Hatfield said.

13News Now sister stationWFMY News 2's Patrick Wright's great aunt fell victim to Facebook cloning.

"I get upset because this is about the third time this has happened," Yvonne Allen said.

"I didnt receive anything! If they want to send me $50 million, Ill take it," Allen laughed.

If your account gets cloned, Hatfield says you should change your password, warn others, and then check your privacy settings to make sure only friends can view your profile.

( 2017 WFMY)

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Beware Of 'Facebook Cloning' | 9news.com - 9NEWS.com

Cultural evolution and the mutilation of women – The Economist

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

GENES that increase an individuals reproductive output will be preserved and spread from generation to generation. That is the process of evolution by natural selection. More subtly, though, in species that have the sorts of learnable, and thus transmissible, behaviour patterns known as culture, cultural changes that promote successful reproduction are also likely to spread. This sort of cultural evolution is less studied than the genetic variety, but perhaps that should change, for a paper published this week in Nature Ecology and Evolution, by Janet Howard and Mhairi Gibson of the University of Bristol, in England, suggests understanding it better may help to wipe out a particularly unpleasant practice, that of female genital mutilation.

FGM, as it is known for short, involves cutting or removing part or all of a females external genitaliausually when she is a girl or just entering puberty. Unlike male circumcision, which at least curbs the transmission of HIV, the AIDS-causing virus, FGM brings no medical benefit whatsoever. Indeed, it often does harm. Besides psychological damage and the inevitable risk that is associated with any sort of surgery (especially when not conducted in clinical conditions), FGM can cause subsequent obstetric complications and put a woman at risk of future infections. All these seem like good reasons why it would harm reproductive output and thus be disfavoured by evolution, whether biological or cultural. Yet the practice persists, particularly in parts of Africa and among migrant populations originating in these places. Ms Howard and Dr Gibson wanted to understand why.

To do so they drew on data from five national health surveys carried out in west Africa (specifically, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Mali and Senegal) over the past ten years. These provided data on the FGM-statusmutilated or otherwiseof more than 60,000 women from 47 ethnic groups. That enabled Ms Howard and Dr Gibson to establish the prevalence rates of mutilation in each of these groups, and to search for explanations of any variation.

They first established formally what common sense would suggest is truethat the daughters of a mother belonging to an ethnic group where the practice is widespread are, themselves, more likely to have undergone mutilation than those of a mother not belonging to such a group. But there was more to the pattern of those results than mere correlation. The average rates of mutilation in the groups the researchers looked at tended to cluster towards the ends of the distribution, near either 0% or 100%, rather than being spread evenly along it.

In the argot of statistics, then, the distribution is U-shaped. This suggests something is pushing behaviour patterns away from the middle and towards the extremes. What that something might be is in turn suggested by the two researchers second finding: the consequences of mutilation for a womans reproductive output.

For convenience, Ms Howard and Dr Gibson defined a womans reproductive output as the number of her children still living when she reached the age of 40. Just over 10,000 women in the five pooled surveys were over this age, and it was from these that the researchers drew their data. Their analysis showed that in ethnic groups where mutilation was common, mothers who were themselves mutilated had more children over their reproductive lifetimes than did the unmutilated. In groups where mutilation was rare, by contrast, it was the other way around. At the extremes, in groups where mutilation was almost ubiquitous or almost unheard of, the average difference amounted to a third or more of an extra child per lifetime. That is a strong evolutionary pressure to conform to the prevailing social norm, whatever it is.

What causes this difference Ms Howard and Dr Gibson cannot say for sure, but they suggest that conforming to whichever norm prevails might let a woman make a more advantageous marriage, and also give her better access to support networks, particularly of members of her own sex. Cultural evolution, in other words, is generating conformity in the same sort of way that biological evolution does when, say, the plumage of a male bird has to conform to female expectations of what a male looks like if that male is to mate successfully, even though the particular pattern of his plumage brings no other benefit.

All this does, though, offer a lever to those who are trying to eradicate female genital mutilation, for unlike genetic norms, cultural ones can be manipulated. The distributions shape suggests that, if mutilation rates in societies where FGM is now the norm could somehow be pushed below 50%, then positive feedback might continue to reduce them without further effort (though such effort could well speed things up).

One thing that is known to push in the right direction is more and better educationand not just for girls. That is desirable for reasons far wider than just the elimination of FGM, however. In a companion piece to Ms Howards and Dr Gibsons paper, Katherine Wander of Binghamton University, in New York state, offers a thought inspired directly by the new research. She wonders if fostering social connections between cut and uncut women in a community might reorganise support networks specifically in a way that reduces the advantages of mutilation.

More widely, the method Ms Howard and Dr Gibson have pioneered, of looking for unanticipated reproductive advantages that help explain the persistence of other undesirable behaviours, might be applied elsewhere. So-called honour killings would be a candidate for such a study, as would the related phenomena of daughter neglect, and the selective infanticide and selective abortion of females. On the face of things these might be expected to be bad for total reproductive output. But perhaps, as with FGM, that is not always the case. And, if it is not, such knowledge would surely help in the fight against them.

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Cultural evolution and the mutilation of women - The Economist

Lumpy, hairy, toe-like fossil could reveal the evolution of molluscs – The Guardian

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

A reconstruction of Calvapilosa, showing what this primitive mollusc most likely looked like in real life. Photograph: Jakob Vinther/Model made by Esben Horn (10tons.dk)

Lumpy, hairy and with a nail-like horny patch it sounds like a hobbits toe. In fact, its a portrait of what researchers say the common ancestor of slugs, snails and squid might have looked like.

The surmise is based on the discovery of the fossilised remains of a mollusc, thought to have lived about 480 million years ago, which has short spines all over its body and fingernail-like shell over its head which housed a radula a tongue-like structure found only in molluscs with more than 125 rows of teeth.

Believed to be a very early ancestor of a group of marine molluscs known as chitons, the discovery, scientists say, suggests that the common ancestor of all molluscs likely had a similar appearance.

I would say that our animal probably is very close to the spitting image of how the ancestor of all molluscs must have looked like 530 million years ago, said Jakob Vinther, a molecular palaeobiologist from the University of Bristol and co-author of the research published in the journal Nature.

The newly discovered animal is believed to have reached up to 12cm in length although the juvenile found in the Yale collection is less than 2cm long. Its name, Calvapilosa kroegeri, is a reference to the hairy shell that covered its head together with a nod to Bjrn Krger. The palaeontologist spotted a complete version of the fossilised creature among a drawer of recently collected Moroccan rocks at Yale University almost a decade after the first incomplete fossil was found.

We had been looking through those drawers to try and see if there were any specimens and we missed it, said Vinther. [Then Krger said] Why dont you guys use this specimen it is entirely complete, and then he pulled this thing out and it was like dude, that is totally what we needed!

The discovery also sheds light on a previously discovered fossils, revealing that a number of older creatures whose nature had been debated due to a lack of preserved details were also molluscs, due to their similarity in structure to the newly discovered creature. We could bring all these other fossils into the fold of thinking [about] molluscan evolution, said Vinther.

It also reveals that an type of early animal with two shell-like plates, known as Halkieria, was also a mollusc. Despite Halkeria being older, the authors suggest that the number of plates grew during evolution, leading to modern day chitons, which bear a row of eight plates on their back. Basically our animal sits right at the base of the branch that leads to chitons, said Vinther.

With a very early non-molluscan creature called Wiwaxia known to have had scales and spikes, the researchers go further, proposing an evolutionary path in which the common ancestor of all molluscs bore spines, a single plate, and a radula before a variety of branches emerged, eventually giving rise to molluscs as diverse as snails, clams and slugs.

Martin Smith, an invertebrate palaeontologist at the University of Durham who was not involved in the research, described the new find as exciting. This is a really important fossil, he said. Theres been a lot of discussion about the common ancestor of molluscs and of course there is such a wide diversity of body plans of molluscs today ranging from squids to snails to slugs and various other things that it is very hard to work out what their common ancestor looked like.

While it has previously been suggested that the common ancestor was shell-less, the new study, says Smith, points towards a single shell and a radula forming part of the body plan of molluscs, which have since been lost, modified or multiplied in various branches over the course of evolution. It completely transforms how we see the earliest history of molluscs and how we read the fossil record, said Smith of the new find.

But Julia Sigwart of Queens University Belfast, cautioned against such an interpretation, saying that even at 480 million years old, the newly-discovered fossil is too young to draw conclusions about what the common ancestor of all molluscs would have looked like.

This is not a particularly old fossil in the context of molluscan evolution, she said. But, she added, the fossil does show how many different forms existed through the history of molluscs over the last half billion years. Any time we find these exceptionally preserved fossils, they are very important for us to understand what the body plans looked like, because the fossils are so rare.

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Lumpy, hairy, toe-like fossil could reveal the evolution of molluscs - The Guardian

How Evolution Alters Biological Invasions – ScienceBlog.com (blog)

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

ScienceBlog.com (blog)

How Evolution Alters Biological Invasions
ScienceBlog.com (blog)
Biological invasions pose major threats to biodiversity, but little is known about how evolution might alter their impacts over time. Now, Rutgers scientists have performed the first study of how evolution unfolds after invasions change native systems.

and more »

How Evolution Alters Biological Invasions - ScienceBlog.com (blog)

Ivanka Trump’s Beauty Evolution, From 1998 to Today Watch – Us Weekly

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

Ivanka Trump 'Feels Terrible' for Insensitive Gala Photo Nordstrom Drops Ivanka Trump's Line Ivanka Trumps Baby Theodore Crawls for First Time in the White House

If we could turn back time actually, we have! Ivanka Trump, the newly minted first daughter of President Donald Trump, has been in the limelight her whole life, which means we've watched her grow up. See her beauty evolution in the video above!

From a rosy-cheeked teen with a rosebud mouth (circa 1998) to a platinum-blonde student and model in the early aughts, to a sleek entrepreneur with a glamorous but understated makeup palette, the former Trump Organization VP has transformed right before our eyes.

Today, Ivanka, who first launched her eponymous brand in 2007 with fine jewelry, is now a mom of three children (with fellow real estate mogul husband Jared Kushner), but she's just as polished as ever.

"I keep my makeup minimal at the office, but that's also because I like to spend my time with my children in the mornings, and that tends to come at the expense of doing my makeup," Ivanka told Who What Wear in 2014. "That being said, I think that bright lipstick can work well, as long as the rest of your makeup is minimal."

Words she clearly lives by! Watch Ivanka's beauty transformation now.

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Ivanka Trump's Beauty Evolution, From 1998 to Today Watch - Us Weekly

YMCA evolution continues at lake – Gaston Gazette

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Danzig

By Michael Barrettmbarrett@gastongazette.com

For years, a new YMCA in Gastonia was merely an ever-shifting concept in the minds of local leaders.

But the former pipe dream is finally being welded and cemented together alongside Robinwood Lake in a framework of concrete, sheet metal and steel.

The 48,000-square-foot complex that was proposed as a $16 million project during a groundbreaking ceremony last May has ballooned. It now carries an anticipated price tag of $20 million, partially due to rising construction costs, said Gaston Family YMCA President and CEO Tony Sigmon.

Its also a result of some last-second tweaks to add a little more space and maximize the facilitys effectiveness for members, he said.

The anticipated late-summer 2017 opening date has shifted to November or December of this year. But positivity over whats coming together still reigns supreme.

Weve got the final floor plans, and everythings locked in and moving along, said Sigmon, during a visit to the construction site Thursday. This is going to be so good, and the changes weve made continue to make it better. The excitement from the community just continues to impress us.

Dreaming bigger

Sigmon and other YMCA leaders have found themselves continuing to battle misinformation, such as confounding rumors that the new branch wont have a swimming pool or gymnasium. But the footprint for those and other amenities are clearly being laid.

This will be the pool area here, and this is what I really like, Sigmon said during the walkthrough, gesturing toward an area that is now a muddy mess. This whole area back here is all going to be deck and patio space, and well have some fire pits over here, with picnic tables and chairs for sunbathing.

Visitors using the large indoor lap pool and separate recreational pool will have a clear view of the 34-acre lake through a glass wall. A boathouse alongside the reservoir will allow members to rent canoes, stand-up paddle-boards, kayaks and fishing boats with electric trolling motors.

Artificial reefs will be built in the lake, which will be stocked with about 40,000 large-mouth bass and bream for fishing. The YMCA is working with a nonprofit to install wood duck nests and osprey stands around the water, which has an average depth of 18 to 25 feet.

"We want to make sure we have a good habitat for wildlife out here," Sigmon said.

A playground and athletic fields for soccer, baseball, lacrosse, field hockey and other sports will flank the east side of the YMCA. A trail leading to the other side will guide people toward the woods, where a campground and two to three miles of natural trails will be built throughout the 110-acre site.

Inside the YMCA, the gymnasium's planned size has increased from 3,600 square feet to 4,800 square feet, to provide a little more breathing room. The wellness center will also be larger at 7,500 square feet.

'Trend space' downstairs will provide room for CrossFit-style workouts or other evolving exercise regimens that offer participants more of a personal touch. And the upstairs Spin Studio has also been expanded in scope, to fit as many as 50 bikes.

More money to raise

The expanded amenities will add about $2 million to the original project budget, and a roughly 10 percent hike in construction costs and materials will double that. Sigmon said it's more than they anticipated, but they're adjusting the only way they know how,.

"Were raising more money," he said. "Weve still probably got $3 million to $3.5 million left to raise, and our volunteers and staff are working incredibly hard to do it."

Other dynamic features inside will include a two-story climbing and adventure center for kids aged 6 to 11. Parents who need some freedom to work out can also drop off younger children from 6 weeks to 5 years at a neighboring child care center.

A large hearth and fireplace will be the dominant feature of the main lobby, and a nearby cafe will offer everything from muffins and healthy smoothies to grab-and-go sandwiches and salads.

Plans are to retain the YMCA's current membership rates, which range from $51 for an individual, to $76 for a family of two adults and their dependents. Beginning in 2018, members will have access to any other YMCA across the country.

Sigmon recently moved his office into a mobile trailer alongside the construction site, and said watching everything come together day by day is gratifying.

Its satisfying for the staff, but also the board, said Sigmon. There are board members whove told me theyve been talking about replacing the Central Branch and finding the right, new location for 20 to 25 years. To see this dream come true in this way is beyond what anyone could have imagined.

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or on Twitter @GazetteMike.

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YMCA evolution continues at lake - Gaston Gazette

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