CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-06-19 04:06:09 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"The US Navy has reached a new milestone in electronic communications. According to a report in the Navy Times, Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Scott Van Buskirk recently issued a policy directive that used something not seen before in Navy communications: lowercase letters."

2013-06-19 02:31:25 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"How's this for a kick in the shorts? New York City has a program for distributing free condoms in an effort to prevent unwanted pregnancy and STI transmission. The thing is, police are also arresting women for carrying condoms."

2013-06-19 02:18:47 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

"The Tampa Bay Times and The Center for Investigative Reporting spent a year investigating bad charities and this is what they found."

2013-06-18 16:51:26 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"GlobalPost goes inside the United States to uncover the regime’s dramatic descent into authoritarian rule and how the opposition plans to fight back."

2013-06-17 03:58:48 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 2 +1s)

"The GOP is a Nice Party and it wants to know why so many college students are putting it in the Friend Zone, according to a new survey out by the College Republican National Committee."

2013-06-17 02:00:47 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

"Second-grade teacher Carie Charlesworth is out of a job, but not for anything she did in the classroom. Her school district considers her a liability and too unsafe to have around following a domestic violence dispute that happened earlier this year. 

"A letter sent to Charlesworth said that school officials are concerned about her ex-husband's 'threatening and menacing behavior,' and as a result they 'cannot allow' her to continue teaching at the Holy Trinity School."

What. The fuck.

2013-06-17 01:38:13 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

"The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that human genes extracted from the body can't be patented, a victory for doctors and patients who argued that such patents interfere with scientific research and the practice of medicine."

Hell. Yes.

2013-06-16 04:22:28 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

"Wrap a remote control quadcopter in a Faraday cage and send it between a couple of Tesla coils for some pretty awesome entertainment. Science. \m/"

2013-06-16 03:15:55 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

"Doctor Who comes to aid of a broken arm on Laura Keeney. The cast was inked up into this awesome TARDIS by artist Zak Kinsella. Time traveling power fist!"

A-mazing. :D

2013-06-15 15:24:47 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Edward Snowden broke the law by releasing classified information. This isn't under debate; it's something everyone with a security clearance knows. It's written in plain English on the documents you have to sign when you get a security clearance, and it's part of the culture. The law is there for a good reason, and secrecy has an important role in military defense. But before the Justice Department prosecutes Snowden, there are some other investigations that ought to happen."

2013-06-15 15:19:58 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"The historic flooding throughout central Europe continues, as the Elbe River has broken through several dikes in northern Germany, and the crest of the swollen Danube River has reached southern Hungary, and threatens Serbia. Parts of Austria and the Czech Republic are now in recovery mode, as thousands of residents return home to recover what they can. Gathered here are images from the past several days of those affected by these continuing floods."

2013-06-15 14:28:52 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"There's something deeply oxymoronic about a 'humane' officer not getting the inhumanity of shooting kittens in front of kids."

This goes back to "lawful vs. good"...

2013-06-15 03:07:40 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"This video was filmed during our trip to UAE in January 2013."

2013-06-15 02:44:10 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Amanda Palmer is easy to hate. But when we criticize her, we think we need to take a long, hard look at exactly what we’re reacting to -- and why."

For the record, I don't hate Amanda Palmer at all. :)

2013-06-15 02:27:14 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Wake turbulence is what an aircraft leaves behind it as it passes through the air. Normally it can't be seen, of course, but when atmospheric conditions are just right the shimmering effect of wake turbulence becomes visible. This video of aircraft landing at Madeira airport gives us a rare glimpse of this phenomenon."

2013-06-14 10:48:22 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

"I found myself in the embrace of a near-stranger who was overwhelmed with joy just because inconsequential, strange, and silly little me had lived to see another day. I surrendered to her startling affection and took part in the impromptu celebration of my own beating heart."

2013-06-11 02:08:44 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

This eruption was two years ago, but I'm not sure I saw these awesome photos. :D

2013-06-11 01:55:39 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Via TheWeaselKing, who titled his post "Most Canadian thing ever." :)

2013-06-10 23:59:15 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

"Greeting Cards by The Oatmeal"

2013-06-10 23:27:31 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

"Bloody, heroic and seasoned with all kinds of awesome, the entire eight-year period was dripping with fantastic stories and scrappy underdog moments. (Or was it?)"

2013-06-10 23:04:55 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"There are already several great female characters in Dr Who. What's truly special about the long-running programme is what an unusual role model it offers for boys."

2013-06-10 22:07:44 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"There’s a big difference in how activists and bureaucrats view the world. In the view of bureaucrats, anything lawful is right by definition. In contrast, activists don’t care whether something is lawful, they care whether it’s good and just. Bureaucrats generally do not understand the difference."

2013-06-10 21:46:10 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Knowing how the government spies on us is important. Not only because so much of it is illegal -- or, to be as charitable as possible, based on novel interpretations of the law -- but because we have a right to know. Democracy requires an informed citizenry in order to function properly, and transparency and accountability are essential parts of that. That means knowing what our government is doing to us, in our name. That means knowing that the government is operating within the constraints of the law. Otherwise, we're living in a police state.

"We need whistle-blowers."

2013-06-10 21:18:18 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"By now, you've likely heard of Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who leaked secret documents to the press regarding that agency's electronic surveillance activities. From Glenn Greenwald's excellent coverage for The Guardian, here are a few of the most interesting passages from interviews with Snowden. ... And from a second piece with a straight-up interview: ... Also worth a read is Timothy Lee's piece for The Washington Post, Has the US become the type of nation from which you have to seek asylum?"

2013-06-10 21:06:25 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 3 +1s)

"In a book called 'Three Felonies A Day', Boston civil rights lawyer Harvey Silverglate says that everyone in the US commits felonies everyday and if the government takes a dislike to you for any reason, they'll dig in and find a felony you're guilty of."

2013-06-10 20:25:48 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

"What's the problem with ubiquitous surveillance? Don't think Orwell; think Kafka."

2013-06-10 20:14:41 (0 comments, 9 reshares, 1 +1s)

"In just ten months, the United States managed to transform an 82 year-old Catholic nun and two pacifists from non-violent anti-nuclear peace protestors accused of misdemeanor trespassing into federal felons convicted of violent crimes of terrorism. Now in jail awaiting sentencing for their acts at an Oak Ridge, TN nuclear weapons production facility, their story should chill every person concerned about dissent in the US."

2013-06-10 19:52:25 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

From Reddit's "Change My View" subreddit: "I live in a country generally assumed to be a dictatorship. One of the Arab spring countries. I have lived through curfews and have seen the outcomes of the sort of surveillance now being revealed in the US. People here talking about curfews aren't realizing what that actually FEELS like. It isn't about having to go inside, and the practicality of that. It's about creating the feeling that everyone, everything is watching. A few points:"

2013-06-10 19:38:21 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Meanwhile, Bradley Manning. "This trial shouldn't be about one troubled soldier. It's about the atrocities he exposed."

2013-06-10 19:37:11 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"The 29-year-old source behind the biggest intelligence leak in the NSA's history explains his motives, his uncertain future and why he never intended on hiding in the shadows."

2013-06-10 18:37:46 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"A compendium of practical statistics turned into rather useless ones."

2013-06-10 18:36:56 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Want to make a glass of water freeze instantly on command? What is this supernatural power and who can use it? Discover the secrets to Ice-bending ... in real life."

I've seen this supercooled water effect before, still cool (as it were). :D

2013-06-09 16:56:48 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

"The other day, a panel of male Fox News contributors described in great detail how women who are breadwinners are the source of all evil in America (or something). 'The natural world isn't even like that!' they proclaimed, conveniently ignoring all facts about the natural world. Megyn Kelly, aFox News anchor, had a bone to pick with that — and boy, does she pick it. I've got a new lady-crush, friends."

2013-06-09 15:50:34 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Game times are up more than 30 minutes over 40 years ago, but little change seems to be coming."

2013-06-09 15:37:12 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

"Dr. Michael Ciampi took a step this spring that many of his fellow physicians would describe as radical. The family physician stopped accepting all forms of health insurance. In early 2013, Ciampi sent a letter to his patients informing them that he would no longer accept any kind of health coverage, both private and government-sponsored. Given that he was now asking patients to pay for his services out of pocket, he posted his prices on the practice’s website."

2013-06-09 15:10:14 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Fascinating juxtaposition of modern and ancient!

"Recently, aerial photographer Jason Hawkes was on an assignment in Libya, with access to a Russian-built Mi-8 helicopter, He flew along the Mediterranean coastline, photographing Tripoli and several ancient Roman sites from above, including Sabratha and Leptis Magna. The result is a collection of images of Libya rather unlike most recent photos from the region, showing a continuity of more than 2,000 years of human habitation along the coast of North Africa."

2013-06-09 14:52:50 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"I’ve been trying to write a funny take on how ridiculously stressful it is to walk past yard after yard of dogs that are behind invisible, underground fences and charge me as I walk by. It’s like the ultimate game of dog walker chicken. The dogs are running towards me – there might be a fence to stop them, but maybe not – do I keep passing by or retreat?"

2013-06-09 03:34:51 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Heavy rainfall over Europe during the the past week has swollen many rivers past their flood stage, wreaking havoc unseen in decades across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic. At least 18 people across the region have been killed, and tens of thousands have been evacuated. In Germany, the crest of the Elbe River is now approaching the North Sea, as the swollen Danube River is surging toward the Hungarian capital of Budapest. Collected here are images from the past several days of those affected by these historic floods, even as meteorologists predict more rain over the coming weekend."

2013-06-09 02:22:12 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

2013-06-09 01:44:31 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

"Here are five things that would have never been given life if not for humanity's undying capacity to never let a thing go."

2013-06-09 01:34:07 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

"Even among theories like these (which count their believers in the millions), you find that the whole thing is usually based on some embarrassingly simple misunderstanding."

2013-06-09 01:05:43 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Beyoncé made a new Pepsi commercial , but she already made her best commercial with them back in 2004."

2013-06-09 00:49:27 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

""I never used Excel at work but I saw other people making pretty graphs and thought, ‘I could probably draw with that,’" says 73-year old Tatsuo Horiuchi. About 13 years ago, shortly before retiring, Horiuchi decide he needed a new challenge in his life. So he bought a computer and began experimenting with Excel..."

These pieces wouldn't be out of place in a fine art gallery. :)

2013-06-08 15:32:41 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Fearsome, yet shiny!

2013-06-08 15:24:33 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

"'Kindness' covers all of my political beliefs..."

2013-06-08 15:06:47 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Dear Leader Dreams of Sushi: Kim Jong-il's Sushi Chef Kenji Fujimoto | GQ -- "North Korea is a mythically strange land, an Absurdistan, where almost nothing is known about the people or, more important, their missile-launching leaders. There is, however, one man—a humble sushi chef from Japan—who infiltrated the inner sanctum, becoming the Dear Leader's cook, confidant, and court jester. What is life like serving Kim Jong-il and his heir? A strange and dangerous gig where the food and drink never stop, the girls are all virgins, and you're never really safe. We sent Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Adam Johnson to meet the man who survived all the craziness."

2013-06-08 15:04:57 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Joss Whedon’s adaptation of 'Much Ado About Nothing' draws out the essential screwball nature of Shakespeare’s comedy."

2013-06-08 14:25:33 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Book publishers still aren't sure what to make of digital publishing. While readers have enthusiastically embraced digital publishing, the book industry itself has continually dragged its heels."

2013-06-08 13:59:40 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

"Turtles can become King Koopa aka Bowser in a cinch with this crocheted turtle shell koozie made by squirrel picnic. This is Myrtle and he is a turtle in a freakin' sweater. A badass Mario-stomping sweater."

2013-06-08 13:39:06 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 0 +1s)

"Describing something as a smarter, more socially aware 'Walking Dead' may seem like an odd compliment, but new BBC America show 'In the Flesh' is exactly that."