themindunleashed--2020-09-15--Oregon city looks like a bomb flattened it as state deploys mobile morgue for wildfire victims

As the West Coast continues struggling to control devastating fires , the small city of Detroit , Oregon , which lies roughly 120 miles southeast of Portland , has been destroyed by the fires so comprehensively that it “ looks like a bomb went off , ” according to local residents .
The flattening of the rural town comes as Oregon State Police have deployed the first-ever mobile morgue in expectation of what officials have warned over the weekend could be a “ mass fatality incident , ” with at least 10 deaths confirmed and another 50 people unaccounted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has a population of about 210 residents , is only one of multiple towns that have been devastated by the unprecedented wildfires that have spread across western Oregon , forcing tens of thousands to be evacuated and displacing countless people as thousands of homes have been reduced to ashes .
“ We have approximately 20-25 structures still standing , and the rest are gone , ” the Idanha-Detroit Rural Fire Protection District announced on Facebook .
Detroit ’ s City Hall , which also serves as the district office for the local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many buildings consumed by flames .
“ Our primary focus is protecting the structures that are still standing , ” officials said .
“ Several of our firefighters have also lost their homes .
They are working through their own losses while also fighting to protect homes still intact.
” Sandi Elwood , who grew up in Detroit , was horrified when she drove into town to assess the damage .
Multiple buildings were utterly annihilated by the fires , including her old church , the bar where she once worked , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the summer , as well as her mother ’ s home and those belonging to countless others .
“ I thought , ‘ What did I just see ?
’ ” Elwood told the Oregonian .
Her mother , who was evacuated from the city , still hasn ’ t seen the scorched ruins of her hometown – but is feeling numb nevertheless .
“ The reality will probably hit her when she ’ s standing on her property , ” Elwood said .
Elizabeth Smith was another Detroit local whose every possession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the town .
“ Our homes are absolutely destroyed , ” Smith told KATU .
“ I ’ ve seen a few videos and photos and my lovely little house that we remodeled 12 years ago in this beautiful canyon area is absolutely flattened .
It looks as though a bomb went off.
” The small community had gone from no evacuation order to an urgent level three “ go now ” mandatory evacuation notice in a matter of only a few hours .
Some residents remain frustrated by the poor communication .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame anybody .
It ’ s what it is , ” said Detroit Mayor Jim Trett .
“ But yeah , we would have liked to have more of an alert .
But I can ’ t blame anybody because this thing just came like a freight train.
” The mayor compared the explosive Lionshead Fire to the Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise , California , two years ago .
“ If you remember the Paradise Fire in 2018 , it ’ s the same topography : three canyons coming down like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bottom of the funnel , ” Trett explained .
“ When I heard that two years ago I said , that ’ s Detroit.
” The terrible damage wrought by fires remains incalculable , as huge fires spanning several have burned 4.6 million acres so far – an area equivalent to Connecticut and Rhode Island combined .
The 94 major blazes have mainly burned rural zones and forest land , but major urban centers like Los Angeles , San Francisco , Seattle , and Portland have seen their air quality plummet and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toxic smoke being pumped out of the fires , increasing the risk of lung infections and infectious diseases .
Oregon Department of Forestry Fire Chief Doug Grafe expects that at least eight of Oregon ’ s wildfires will continue burning “ until the winter ’ s rains fall , ” while California still has four months left of fire season .
Emergency workers are also fighting to recover bodies from the fire , and in some cases have located the corpses of victims but have been unable to recover them due to harsh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ western Oregon counties of Jackson , Lane , and Marion , according to Gov .
Kate Brown .
For the first time in Oregon ’ s history , the state has now activated a 75-person regional response team to recover bodily remains and operate a mobile morgue .
The state has long trained for such an event but up to now , hasn ’ t been forced to use it .
Certified death investigators , law enforcement personnel , criminalists and forensic scientist will be aiding the team ’ s efforts , reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires usually consume 500,000 acres annually in the state , “ this week alone , we burned over a million acres of beautiful Oregon , ” Gov .
Brown said .
“ We saw the perfect fire storm , ” she added .
“ We saw incredible winds .
We saw very cold , hot temperatures and , of course , we have a landscape that has seen 30 years of drought.
” The terrible nature of the fires confirms the worst forecasts of climate experts , Oregon-based wildland fire ecologist and former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ These are climate fires , ” Ingalsbee said .
“ And they ’ re the product of extreme heat waves and prolonged droughts and then very low humidities.
” “ Though some scientists hesitate to attribute a single event to climate change , these are exactly the conditions predicted by climatologists , ” he added .
“ And where once they were rare — I mean , they ’ re not entirely unprecedented in our prehistoric past — they will become much more frequent in the days ahead .
”

As the West Coast continues struggling to control devastating fires, the small city of Detroit, Oregon, which lies roughly 120 miles southeast of Portland, has been destroyed by the fires so comprehensively that it “looks like a bomb went off,” according to local residents.
The flattening of the rural town comes as Oregon State Police have deployed the first-ever mobile morgue in expectation of what officials have warned over the weekend could be a “mass fatality incident,” with at least 10 deaths confirmed and another 50 people unaccounted for.
The small city of Detroit, which has a population of about 210 residents, is only one of multiple towns that have been devastated by the unprecedented wildfires that have spread across western Oregon, forcing tens of thousands to be evacuated and displacing countless people as thousands of homes have been reduced to ashes.
“We have approximately 20-25 structures still standing, and the rest are gone,” the Idanha-Detroit Rural Fire Protection District announced on Facebook.
Hi everyone, I returned from our district late last night. I'll start with the good news: Idanha is safe. As far as we… Posted by Idanha-Detroit Rural Fire Protection District on Sunday, September 13, 2020
Detroit’s City Hall, which also serves as the district office for the local fire department, was one of the many buildings consumed by flames.
“Our primary focus is protecting the structures that are still standing,” officials said. “Several of our firefighters have also lost their homes. They are working through their own losses while also fighting to protect homes still intact.”
Sandi Elwood, who grew up in Detroit, was horrified when she drove into town to assess the damage. Multiple buildings were utterly annihilated by the fires, including her old church, the bar where she once worked, the marina where she would hang out during the summer, as well as her mother’s home and those belonging to countless others.
“I thought, ‘What did I just see?’” Elwood told the Oregonian.
Her mother, who was evacuated from the city, still hasn’t seen the scorched ruins of her hometown – but is feeling numb nevertheless.
“The reality will probably hit her when she’s standing on her property,” Elwood said.
Elizabeth Smith was another Detroit local whose every possession was lost when the wildfire swept through the town.
“Our homes are absolutely destroyed,” Smith told KATU. “I’ve seen a few videos and photos and my lovely little house that we remodeled 12 years ago in this beautiful canyon area is absolutely flattened. It looks as though a bomb went off.”
The small community had gone from no evacuation order to an urgent level three “go now” mandatory evacuation notice in a matter of only a few hours. Some residents remain frustrated by the poor communication.
“I’m not going to blame anybody. It’s what it is,” said Detroit Mayor Jim Trett. “But yeah, we would have liked to have more of an alert. But I can’t blame anybody because this thing just came like a freight train.”
The mayor compared the explosive Lionshead Fire to the Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise, California, two years ago.
“If you remember the Paradise Fire in 2018, it’s the same topography: three canyons coming down like a funnel into the city of Paradise at the bottom of the funnel,” Trett explained. “When I heard that two years ago I said, that’s Detroit.”
The terrible damage wrought by fires remains incalculable, as huge fires spanning several have burned 4.6 million acres so far – an area equivalent to Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.
The 94 major blazes have mainly burned rural zones and forest land, but major urban centers like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland have seen their air quality plummet and the sun blotted out due to the toxic smoke being pumped out of the fires, increasing the risk of lung infections and infectious diseases.
Oregon Department of Forestry Fire Chief Doug Grafe expects that at least eight of Oregon’s wildfires will continue burning “until the winter’s rains fall,” while California still has four months left of fire season.
Emergency workers are also fighting to recover bodies from the fire, and in some cases have located the corpses of victims but have been unable to recover them due to harsh conditions.
Dozens remain missing in the western Oregon counties of Jackson, Lane, and Marion, according to Gov. Kate Brown.
For the first time in Oregon’s history, the state has now activated a 75-person regional response team to recover bodily remains and operate a mobile morgue. The state has long trained for such an event but up to now, hasn’t been forced to use it. Certified death investigators, law enforcement personnel, criminalists and forensic scientist will be aiding the team’s efforts, reports the Oregonian.
While Oregon’s fires usually consume 500,000 acres annually in the state, “this week alone, we burned over a million acres of beautiful Oregon,” Gov. Brown said.
“We saw the perfect fire storm,” she added. “We saw incredible winds. We saw very cold, hot temperatures and, of course, we have a landscape that has seen 30 years of drought.”
The terrible nature of the fires confirms the worst forecasts of climate experts, Oregon-based wildland fire ecologist and former wildland firefighter Timothy Ingalsbee told Democracy Now.
“These are climate fires,” Ingalsbee said. “And they’re the product of extreme heat waves and prolonged droughts and then very low humidities.”
“Though some scientists hesitate to attribute a single event to climate change, these are exactly the conditions predicted by climatologists,” he added. “And where once they were rare — I mean, they’re not entirely unprecedented in our prehistoric past — they will become much more frequent in the days ahead.”
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.


themindunleashed--2020-09-14--This Physicist Is Arguing the Entire Universe May Be One Giant Neural Network

( TMU ) – Physics professor Vitaly Vanchurin has an idea that he openly admits is “ crazy.
” But , crazy or not , he thinks it just might be true .
His new paper posits an incredible and controversial hypothesis : “ the entire universe on its most fundamental level is a neural network.
” Fundamentally , he argues , the idea can be considered a “ theory of everything , ” a way to reconcile the two most successful models of the physical universe – general relativity ( the big stuff ) and quantum mechanics ( the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ framework .
Up until this point , this elusive theory of quantum gravity has eluded cosmologists and physicists .
Along with the conundrums of dark energy and dark matter , the friction between the relativistic and quantum worlds of science has contributed a steadily rising anxiety to what some scientists believe is a full-blown crisis in cosmology .
How can there be one theory that works perfectly for the macroscopic world and one theory that works perfectly for the microscopic world and yet the two theories contradict each other and can not both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is where Professor Vanchurin , who teaches physics at the University of Minnesota Duluth , says his idea of the universe as a neural network may be able to better explain a more fundamental reality from which other properties and forces emerge .
In an interview with Futurism , Vanchurin discusses the crisis in cosmology and then describes how his idea contributes to a resolution : “ One might argue that there are not two , but three phenomena that need to be unified : quantum mechanics , general relativity and observers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that quantum mechanics is the main one and everything else should somehow emerge from it , but nobody knows exactly how that can be done .
In this paper I consider another possibility that a microscopic neural network is the fundamental structure and everything else , i.e .
quantum mechanics , general relativity and macroscopic observers , emerges from it.
” Many scientists dismiss the idea on its face , claiming it smacks too much of biocentrism and theories like John Wheeler ’ s “ participatory universe , ” in which consciousness establishes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Vanchurin says his theory should be easy to disprove and thus has value as an experimental model .
“ We are not just saying that the artificial neural networks can be useful for analyzing physical systems or for discovering physical laws , we are saying that this is how the world around us actually works , ” he writes in a section of his paper .
“ With this respect it could be considered as a proposal for the theory of everything , and as such it should be easy to prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asks him if this means we are living in a simulation and Vanchurin offers an interesting answer : “ No , we live in a neural network , but we might never know the difference.
” Scientists have been marveling over the similarities between the cosmic web and neurons in the brain for years .
Some argue there ’ s an eeriness in how the self-similar structure of the universe is so similar to the brain ’ s neural networks .
In 2017 , an astrophysicist and neuroscientist teamed up to write a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argues that careful , comprehensive analysis seems to suggest that galaxy clusters do mirror the structure and behavior of neuron networks .

(TMU) – Physics professor Vitaly Vanchurin has an idea that he openly admits is “crazy.” But, crazy or not, he thinks it just might be true.
His new paper posits an incredible and controversial hypothesis: “the entire universe on its most fundamental level is a neural network.”
Fundamentally, he argues, the idea can be considered a “theory of everything,” a way to reconcile the two most successful models of the physical universe – general relativity (the big stuff) and quantum mechanics (the small stuff) – into a unified framework.
Up until this point, this elusive theory of quantum gravity has eluded cosmologists and physicists.
Along with the conundrums of dark energy and dark matter, the friction between the relativistic and quantum worlds of science has contributed a steadily rising anxiety to what some scientists believe is a full-blown crisis in cosmology.
How can there be one theory that works perfectly for the macroscopic world and one theory that works perfectly for the microscopic world and yet the two theories contradict each other and cannot both be true as currently constructed?
This is where Professor Vanchurin, who teaches physics at the University of Minnesota Duluth, says his idea of the universe as a neural network may be able to better explain a more fundamental reality from which other properties and forces emerge.
In an interview with Futurism, Vanchurin discusses the crisis in cosmology and then describes how his idea contributes to a resolution:
“One might argue that there are not two, but three phenomena that need to be unified: quantum mechanics, general relativity and observers. 99% of physicists would tell you that quantum mechanics is the main one and everything else should somehow emerge from it, but nobody knows exactly how that can be done. In this paper I consider another possibility that a microscopic neural network is the fundamental structure and everything else, i.e. quantum mechanics, general relativity and macroscopic observers, emerges from it.”
Many scientists dismiss the idea on its face, claiming it smacks too much of biocentrism and theories like John Wheeler’s “participatory universe,” in which consciousness establishes the physical reality of the universe.
But Vanchurin says his theory should be easy to disprove and thus has value as an experimental model.
“We are not just saying that the artificial neural networks can be useful for analyzing physical systems or for discovering physical laws, we are saying that this is how the world around us actually works,” he writes in a section of his paper. “With this respect it could be considered as a proposal for the theory of everything, and as such it should be easy to prove it wrong.”
His interviewer point blank asks him if this means we are living in a simulation and Vanchurin offers an interesting answer:
“No, we live in a neural network, but we might never know the difference.”
Scientists have been marveling over the similarities between the cosmic web and neurons in the brain for years. Some argue there’s an eeriness in how the self-similar structure of the universe is so similar to the brain’s neural networks.
In 2017, an astrophysicist and neuroscientist teamed up to write a paper about this phenomenon, which essentially argues that careful, comprehensive analysis seems to suggest that galaxy clusters do mirror the structure and behavior of neuron networks.
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.


themindunleashed--2020-09-14--Scientists Discover Possible Signs of Alien Life on Venus

( TMU ) – Scientists believe that they may have detected signs of alien life on the planet Venus , after spotting phosphine , a compound that is produced when organic matter breaks down .
The levels of phosphine on the planet are so high that they can not be explained by any other known process .
The discoveries were reported in a new article published this week in Nature Astronomy , by an international team of researchers led by Jane Greaves from Cardiff University .
Humans have discovered how to create phosphine through industrial processes , but in nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused by anaerobic organisms like bacteria and microbes .
Since the compound is so closely connected with organic life , scientists see it as a “ biosignature ” , or indication that life is present .
Still , it is unlikely that intelligent life would be able to exist on the planet because the surface is so hot and acidic , although some researchers have speculated that species on different planets could have a vastly different chemical composition than those found here on earth , which could make some environments more habitable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is likely a variety of microorganisms that can survive in the planet ’ s upper cloud decks , which researchers believe is more habitable than the surface , but very little is known about what type of life could exist there , or where it might be .
In their report , the researchers admit that the presence of this compound “ is not robust evidence for life , only for anomalous and unexplained chemistry ” , and that further study is needed to confirm their theories .
“ Either phosphine is produced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process that no-one knows about – or there could be a biological reason , ” Emily Drabek-Maunder , an astrophysicist from the Royal Observatory Greenwich and one of the paper ’ s authors told the Independent .
“ Our study isn ’ t conclusive that this is evidence of life .
However , what is exciting about it is that we ’ ve found this rare gas in the upper atmosphere of Venus .
Our team can ’ t explain the amount of phosphine that we ’ ve found , through our current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to model what ’ s happening in the atmosphere – volcanic activity , sunlight , or even lightning – nothing recreates the amount of phosphine gas that we ’ ve seen , ” she added .
Still , the report has caused genuine excitement in the scientific community , and it actually happened by accident .
The discovery was made while the researchers were checking for levels of different compounds on venus to establish a baseline .
They weren ’ t actually expecting to find any phosphine there , but when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they decided to research the situation further .
“ We had no expectation there was actually going to be any there , ” said David Clements , a scientist at Imperial College London who was also an author on the paper .
“ It turned from a ‘ let ’ s try this , it ’ s an interesting problem , and we can set some parameters for what needs to be done ’ , into ‘ my goodness , we ’ ve found it , what on Earth does that mean ?
@ @ @ @ @

(TMU) – Scientists believe that they may have detected signs of alien life on the planet Venus, after spotting phosphine, a compound that is produced when organic matter breaks down.
The levels of phosphine on the planet are so high that they cannot be explained by any other known process.
The discoveries were reported in a new article published this week in Nature Astronomy, by an international team of researchers led by Jane Greaves from Cardiff University.
Humans have discovered how to create phosphine through industrial processes, but in nature, it is only known to be caused by anaerobic organisms like bacteria and microbes.
Since the compound is so closely connected with organic life, scientists see it as a “biosignature”, or indication that life is present.
Still, it is unlikely that intelligent life would be able to exist on the planet because the surface is so hot and acidic, although some researchers have speculated that species on different planets could have a vastly different chemical composition than those found here on earth, which could make some environments more habitable.
The life that might exist on venus is likely a variety of microorganisms that can survive in the planet’s upper cloud decks, which researchers believe is more habitable than the surface, but very little is known about what type of life could exist there, or where it might be.
In their report, the researchers admit that the presence of this compound “is not robust evidence for life, only for anomalous and unexplained chemistry”, and that further study is needed to confirm their theories.
“Either phosphine is produced by some sort of chemical or geological process that no-one knows about – or there could be a biological reason,” Emily Drabek-Maunder, an astrophysicist from the Royal Observatory Greenwich and one of the paper’s authors told the Independent.
“Our study isn’t conclusive that this is evidence of life. However, what is exciting about it is that we’ve found this rare gas in the upper atmosphere of Venus. Our team can’t explain the amount of phosphine that we’ve found, through our current understanding of the planet. When we try to model what’s happening in the atmosphere – volcanic activity, sunlight, or even lightning – nothing recreates the amount of phosphine gas that we’ve seen,” she added.
Still, the report has caused genuine excitement in the scientific community, and it actually happened by accident.
The discovery was made while the researchers were checking for levels of different compounds on venus to establish a baseline.
They weren’t actually expecting to find any phosphine there, but when they did find some in their initial studies they decided to research the situation further.
“We had no expectation there was actually going to be any there,” said David Clements, a scientist at Imperial College London who was also an author on the paper.
“It turned from a ‘let’s try this, it’s an interesting problem, and we can set some parameters for what needs to be done’, into ‘my goodness, we’ve found it, what on Earth does that mean?’” he added.
Cardiff University – Hints of Life on Venus An international team of astronomers, led by Professor Jane Greaves of Cardiff University, has discovered phosphine in the clouds of Venus. The detection of phosphine molecules could point to extra-terrestrial ‘aerial’ life. #VenusNews Professor Jane Greaves explains the new discovery, led by Cardiff University Posted by Cardiff University on Monday, September 14, 2020
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.


themindunleashed--2020-09-14--As toxic wildfire smoke chokes West Coast, bird populations have gone missing

As the West Coast faces an unprecedented wave of fires across multiple states , bird lovers in California are realizing that many birds are simply disappearing or worse , turning up dead .
In the Birding California group on Facebook , bird watchers discussed the total silence that has come to their backyards , where the sounds of birds chirping and singing used to greet them in the morning .
“ I live in Folsom—have not seen a bird or heard a bird chirp this morning , ” said Jodi Root .
“ We live in northern Nevada and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gardnerville resident Karen Holden .
“ Same here in Napa , ” said Tammy Saunders , who said that things had become “ very quiet which just adds to the eeriness of the orange colored dark sky.
” Almost 100 seasoned birdwatchers gave similar responses to the survey , with most noting that they saw a marked decline in birds visiting their feeders and birdbaths , as well as a clear thinning-out of the variety of species .
Like the insects that many birds rely on for food , wild bird populations have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over recent years .
However , the record-shattering heatwave and smokey , toxic air conditions in California and other western states haven ’ t only impacted human populations .
Tragically , the ash that is falling across West Coast cities isn ’ t only comprised of trees and brush , but also includes the incinerated remains of birds and other creatures caught in the wildfires .
And as Deborah Pertersen of Inside Climate News reports , birds – with their highly sensitive respiratory systems that are instantly responsive to changes in environmental conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the canary in a coal mine , at a time when seemingly the entire planet is on fire .
While much still remains unknown about how smoke impacts bird populations , doctoral candidate Andrew Stillman of the University of Connecticut notes that birds perpetually live on the edge , and extreme changes can have dire consequences for bird species .
“ One thing that is important to point out is we do know high levels of smoke exposure can be harmful to birds , ” Stillman told Inside Climate News .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escape like humans by going indoors.
” Veterinarians and bird scientists have also found that smoke can leave a damaging impact on the lung tissue of captive birds , leaving them susceptible to deadly respiratory infections , notes the Audubon Society .
“ We do know that exposure to particulate matter , which of course is of great concern for human health , can affect birds as well , ” said Olivia Sanderfoot , a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Washington Seattle who studies the impact of air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still-raging fires haven ’ t given researchers much of a chance to survey the population of birds along the west coast , the anecdotal evidence stacking up is clearly showing that the health effects of the massive plumes of smoke coming from over 85 fires raging in western states is hitting bird populations hard .
“ Overall , it seems like the anecdotes suggest that there is a decline in bird activity during smoke events , ” said Olivia Sanderfoot , a researcher at the University of Washington .
In a 2017 paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Birds have long been recognized as sentinel species for environmental change.
” The literature review concluded that “ Exposure to air pollution clearly causes respiratory distress in birds and increases their susceptibility to respiratory infection , ” in addition to causing complications to bird reproduction .
However , the science of wildfire smoke ’ s impact on birds remains largely undeveloped .
“ We know pretty much nothing about the long-term impact of smoke on birds , ” Sanderfoot said .
Indeed , most of the research on birds only covers a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it focuses on air pollution rather than wildfire smoke .
“ Of the roughly 10 000 species of birds known worldwide , only a few have been studied to characterize avian responses to air pollution , and the animals used in laboratory experiments may not be representative of the wild bird species most at risk from air pollution , ” Sanderfoot and Holloway wrote .
Sanderfoot and her fellow researchers are now conducting studies in Washington , a state which saw some of the most hazardous air pollution ever recorded over the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planting microphones and cameras in smokey areas to register whether bird songs decrease in high-smoke areas .
Tara Sears Lee , a nursery volunteer in Los Alto , California , has also observed the terrible impact of smoke on birds in recent days .
“ Outside for 6 hours yesterday and no jays , crows , ravens , quail , turkeys , or hawks – all usual and very vocal visitors , ” she wrote on Facebook .
“ Only hummingbirds , juncos , towhees and titmice .
Worst of all was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – had heard they are being overcome by heat and smoke and just drop dead.
” Birders across the state are also posting photos on their Facebook accounts of dead hummingbirds in their backyards or , inversely , boosted numbers of birds at their backyard feeders – a result of the forced migration caused by fires .
“ I think all the birds came to my house south of San Jose .
Sometimes there will be more than 40-50 out there , ” wrote Charlotte Trethway Noriega on Facebook .
As Petersen explains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North America have plummeted by 29 percent – or three billion birds – since 1970 .
And according to a 2019 study , rampant high temperatures resulting from climate change are likely to drastically alter the migration patterns of bird species .
With pastures and grasslands being converted to crops , nesting places have dwindled along with the mass die-offs of insects eliminated by pesticides .
However , Stillman is finding some small traces of hope in his research of birds that have thrived in areas hit by wildfires .
Black-backed woodpeckers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the larvae of wood-boring beetles that thrive on dying trees burned in fires .
However , Stillman notes “ a very big caveat ” : the new generation of “ mega fires ” like the one the West Coast is currently undergoing is far more destructive than those of the past , and the question of “ how are the birds responding to this new normal ” remains open .

As the West Coast faces an unprecedented wave of fires across multiple states, bird lovers in California are realizing that many birds are simply disappearing or worse, turning up dead.
In the Birding California group on Facebook, bird watchers discussed the total silence that has come to their backyards, where the sounds of birds chirping and singing used to greet them in the morning.
“I live in Folsom—have not seen a bird or heard a bird chirp this morning,” said Jodi Root.
“We live in northern Nevada and have noticed the same thing,” added Gardnerville resident Karen Holden.
“Same here in Napa,” said Tammy Saunders, who said that things had become “very quiet which just adds to the eeriness of the orange colored dark sky.”
Almost 100 seasoned birdwatchers gave similar responses to the survey, with most noting that they saw a marked decline in birds visiting their feeders and birdbaths, as well as a clear thinning-out of the variety of species.
Like the insects that many birds rely on for food, wild bird populations have been in a state of major decline over recent years. However, the record-shattering heatwave and smokey, toxic air conditions in California and other western states haven’t only impacted human populations. Tragically, the ash that is falling across West Coast cities isn’t only comprised of trees and brush, but also includes the incinerated remains of birds and other creatures caught in the wildfires.
And as Deborah Pertersen of Inside Climate News reports, birds – with their highly sensitive respiratory systems that are instantly responsive to changes in environmental conditions – are acting as the global equivalent to the canary in a coal mine, at a time when seemingly the entire planet is on fire.
While much still remains unknown about how smoke impacts bird populations, doctoral candidate Andrew Stillman of the University of Connecticut notes that birds perpetually live on the edge, and extreme changes can have dire consequences for bird species.
“One thing that is important to point out is we do know high levels of smoke exposure can be harmful to birds,” Stillman told Inside Climate News. And unlike humans, birds “cannot escape like humans by going indoors.”
Veterinarians and bird scientists have also found that smoke can leave a damaging impact on the lung tissue of captive birds, leaving them susceptible to deadly respiratory infections, notes the Audubon Society.
“We do know that exposure to particulate matter, which of course is of great concern for human health, can affect birds as well,” said Olivia Sanderfoot, a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Washington Seattle who studies the impact of air pollution on birds.
And while the still-raging fires haven’t given researchers much of a chance to survey the population of birds along the west coast, the anecdotal evidence stacking up is clearly showing that the health effects of the massive plumes of smoke coming from over 85 fires raging in western states is hitting bird populations hard.
“Overall, it seems like the anecdotes suggest that there is a decline in bird activity during smoke events,” said Olivia Sanderfoot, a researcher at the University of Washington.
In a 2017 paper, Sanderfoot and Tracey Holloway wrote that “Birds have long been recognized as sentinel species for environmental change.”
The literature review concluded that “Exposure to air pollution clearly causes respiratory distress in birds and increases their susceptibility to respiratory infection,” in addition to causing complications to bird reproduction.
However, the science of wildfire smoke’s impact on birds remains largely undeveloped.
“We know pretty much nothing about the long-term impact of smoke on birds,” Sanderfoot said.
Indeed, most of the research on birds only covers a handful of species, and most of it focuses on air pollution rather than wildfire smoke.
“Of the roughly 10 000 species of birds known worldwide, only a few have been studied to characterize avian responses to air pollution, and the animals used in laboratory experiments may not be representative of the wild bird species most at risk from air pollution,” Sanderfoot and Holloway wrote.
Sanderfoot and her fellow researchers are now conducting studies in Washington, a state which saw some of the most hazardous air pollution ever recorded over the past week. Sanderfoot and her team are planting microphones and cameras in smokey areas to register whether bird songs decrease in high-smoke areas.
Tara Sears Lee, a nursery volunteer in Los Alto, California, has also observed the terrible impact of smoke on birds in recent days.
“Outside for 6 hours yesterday and no jays, crows, ravens, quail, turkeys, or hawks – all usual and very vocal visitors,” she wrote on Facebook. “Only hummingbirds, juncos, towhees and titmice. Worst of all was a dead hummingbird just lying on the ground – had heard they are being overcome by heat and smoke and just drop dead.”
Birders across the state are also posting photos on their Facebook accounts of dead hummingbirds in their backyards or, inversely, boosted numbers of birds at their backyard feeders – a result of the forced migration caused by fires.
“I think all the birds came to my house south of San Jose. Sometimes there will be more than 40-50 out there,” wrote Charlotte Trethway Noriega on Facebook.
As Petersen explains in her article, bird populations in North America have plummeted by 29 percent – or three billion birds – since 1970. And according to a 2019 study, rampant high temperatures resulting from climate change are likely to drastically alter the migration patterns of bird species. With pastures and grasslands being converted to crops, nesting places have dwindled along with the mass die-offs of insects eliminated by pesticides.
However, Stillman is finding some small traces of hope in his research of birds that have thrived in areas hit by wildfires. Black-backed woodpeckers are quickly returning to burned-out areas to feed on the larvae of wood-boring beetles that thrive on dying trees burned in fires.
However, Stillman notes “a very big caveat”: the new generation of “mega fires” like the one the West Coast is currently undergoing is far more destructive than those of the past, and the question of “how are the birds responding to this new normal” remains open.
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.


themindunleashed--2020-09-15--These “Cotton Candy” Flowers Look Like Something From Dr Seuss

( TMU ) – State fairs and festivals are few and far between at the moment , as is the beloved pink cotton candy that makes fairs and festivals even more special for most of us .
You ’ ll know it when you see it , a field of nature ’ s own cotton candy to delight the soul , and you ’ ll be excused for thinking you ’ ve stepped right into a Dr. Seuss book when you come across a field of Prairie Smoke Flowers .
Geum triflorum , commonly known as Prairie Smoke ( for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ puffs of smoke ) , or Old Man ’ s Whiskers ( for the hairy covering of the seedpods ) , is a perennial native to North America .
Growing wild from southern Canada to the central and northern United States , this hardy plant favors temperate and sub-arctic grasslands in the wild .
One of the early spring bloomers , these prairie wildflowers continue through summer with clusters of up to nine nodding rose-pink , maroon or purple flowers on each stem of 12-18 ’ ’ long .
Once fertilized , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pods , called achenes , are absolutely reminiscent of pink cotton candy , and even more decorative than the flowers , but not for eating !
The styles are part of the female reproductive organs and stretch in the fruit , forming plumes of close to three inches long .
After pollination these stems turn upright and by the time the tufted fruit appear , the feathery heads look like smoke wafting away .
The seed heads remain on the plant for several weeks and turn a golden color and when they dry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wind .
Sadly , these beautiful wildflowers are becoming scarce in their natural habitat due to stronger naturalized invaders and ever encroaching human development .
Prairie Smoke is not difficult to grow and you can keep these delightful ‘ cotton candy ’ flowers alive in your own garden quite easily where they ’ ll thrive in full sun and rocky or sandy soil with moderate moisture , a southern or western exposure is preferred .
Perfect for a dense ground cover , which is useful for controlling weeds and a lovely plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with other native wildflowers who prefer dry summers .
On growing Prairie Smoke from seed , the University of Wisconsin-Madison ’ s Master Gardener Program webpage advises : “ Triflorum can be grown from seed sown in the spring .
Seed started indoors should be stratified for 4-6 weeks .
Plants started inside in late February should be ready to plant outside in late May .
Autumn sowing outdoors can be successful and this plant may also self-seed , but it is a poor competitor , so is easily out-competed by other more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage volunteer seedlings , keep other plants from growing too close to the seedlings.
” Plants can be propagated by division in early spring , after flowering or in the fall .
Large clumps in gardens can be divided every 3-4 years to maintain vigor , but those established in prairies can be left alone .
: ”

(TMU) – State fairs and festivals are few and far between at the moment, as is the beloved pink cotton candy that makes fairs and festivals even more special for most of us.
You’ll know it when you see it, a field of nature’s own cotton candy to delight the soul, and you’ll be excused for thinking you’ve stepped right into a Dr. Seuss book when you come across a field of Prairie Smoke Flowers.
Geum triflorum, commonly known as Prairie Smoke (for its long plumed, wispy seedpods resembling puffs of smoke), or Old Man’s Whiskers (for the hairy covering of the seedpods), is a perennial native to North America. Growing wild from southern Canada to the central and northern United States, this hardy plant favors temperate and sub-arctic grasslands in the wild.
One of the early spring bloomers, these prairie wildflowers continue through summer with clusters of up to nine nodding rose-pink, maroon or purple flowers on each stem of 12-18’’ long. Once fertilized, the seedpods follow.
These silver-pink fluffy cloud-like pods, called achenes, are absolutely reminiscent of pink cotton candy, and even more decorative than the flowers, but not for eating!
The styles are part of the female reproductive organs and stretch in the fruit, forming plumes of close to three inches long. After pollination these stems turn upright and by the time the tufted fruit appear, the feathery heads look like smoke wafting away.
The seed heads remain on the plant for several weeks and turn a golden color and when they dry completely, are lifted and dispersed by the wind.
Sadly, these beautiful wildflowers are becoming scarce in their natural habitat due to stronger naturalized invaders and ever encroaching human development.
Prairie Smoke is not difficult to grow and you can keep these delightful ‘cotton candy’ flowers alive in your own garden quite easily where they’ll thrive in full sun and rocky or sandy soil with moderate moisture, a southern or western exposure is preferred.
Perfect for a dense ground cover, which is useful for controlling weeds and a lovely plant to add to garden beds and borders with other native wildflowers who prefer dry summers.
On growing Prairie Smoke from seed, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Master Gardener Program webpage advises:
“Triflorum can be grown from seed sown in the spring. Seed started indoors should be stratified for 4-6 weeks. Plants started inside in late February should be ready to plant outside in late May. Autumn sowing outdoors can be successful and this plant may also self-seed, but it is a poor competitor, so is easily out-competed by other more aggressive native or introduced plants. To encourage volunteer seedlings, keep other plants from growing too close to the seedlings.”
Plants can be propagated by division in early spring, after flowering or in the fall. Large clumps in gardens can be divided every 3-4 years to maintain vigor, but those established in prairies can be left alone.:”
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.


themindunleashed--2020-09-15--This is What Artists From Over 100 Years Ago Thought The Year 2000 Would Look Like

( TMU ) – Art from the past is fascinating , from the most basic rock art , to the most detailed and realistic , the bizarre , the fantastical , the surreal and the futuristic , art provides us with insight into cultures and history .
Visual records of the lives , struggles , triumphs and beliefs during the evolution of human kind .
Throughout our evolution , there has always been forward thinkers , those who could envisage a very different future , such as Leonardo da Vinci ( 1452-1519 ) , best known as an artist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inventor with the vision and imagination to create , on paper , inventions such as the bicycle , the helicopter and an airplane .
Perhaps da Vinci innovative ideas inspired artists through the centuries that followed , such as those created by French Jean-Marc Cote and others in 1899 , 1900 , 1901 and 1910 who were asked to imagine what life would be like in the year 2020 .
The futuristic images they created were originally in the form of postcards or cards enclosed in cigarette boxes .
These pictures were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high tech machinery and flying machines .
Life was much simpler , food was still grown organically and the world still had clean air , rivers and oceans .
Many of the illustrations turned out to be quite accurate , such as machines for farming , robotic equipment , flying machines , underwater breathing apparatus , and sadly , weapons of war .
The buildings , clothing and hairstyles seemed to remain in the previous century .
Over 100 years have passed and some of those artists may have lived to see some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third revolution brought with it innovations that propelled the modern human into an easier , faster lifestyle for those who could afford it .
Machines and appliances do the work , in the home and workplace .
Motor cars , appliances , pre-packed food , fast food and waste , so much waste !
With not a thought of the consequences .
Our air and water polluted by chemicals , of rivers and oceans choked by our single use waste and not just our planet , but our health suffering under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the artists of our world depict life on earth in 2099 , 2100 , 2101 and 2110 ?

(TMU) – Art from the past is fascinating, from the most basic rock art, to the most detailed and realistic, the bizarre, the fantastical, the surreal and the futuristic, art provides us with insight into cultures and history. Visual records of the lives, struggles, triumphs and beliefs during the evolution of human kind.
Throughout our evolution, there has always been forward thinkers, those who could envisage a very different future, such as Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), best known as an artist, he was also an architect, scientist and inventor with the vision and imagination to create, on paper, inventions such as the bicycle, the helicopter and an airplane.
Perhaps da Vinci innovative ideas inspired artists through the centuries that followed, such as those created by French Jean-Marc Cote and others in 1899, 1900, 1901 and 1910 who were asked to imagine what life would be like in the year 2020. The futuristic images they created were originally in the form of postcards or cards enclosed in cigarette boxes.
These pictures were created before the second industrial revolution and high tech machinery and flying machines. Life was much simpler, food was still grown organically and the world still had clean air, rivers and oceans. Many of the illustrations turned out to be quite accurate, such as machines for farming, robotic equipment, flying machines, underwater breathing apparatus, and sadly, weapons of war. The buildings, clothing and hairstyles seemed to remain in the previous century.
Over 100 years have passed and some of those artists may have lived to see some of their ideas become reality. Unfortunately the third revolution brought with it innovations that propelled the modern human into an easier, faster lifestyle for those who could afford it. Machines and appliances do the work, in the home and workplace. Motor cars, appliances, pre-packed food, fast food and waste, so much waste! With not a thought of the consequences. Our air and water polluted by chemicals, of rivers and oceans choked by our single use waste and not just our planet, but our health suffering under the strain.
How would we, and the artists of our world depict life on earth in 2099, 2100, 2101 and 2110?
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.


themindunleashed--2020-09-15--Shocking number of women in ICE facility were sterilized against their will, nurse reveals

( TMU ) – A nurse at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) detention center has filed a shocking whistleblower complaint through several legal advocacy groups that accuses the ICE facility of “ jarring medical neglect ” toward detainees , including an ongoing practice of performing mass hysterectomies performed on female prisoners .
The complaint , filed by a number of detained immigrants and the nurse , Dawn Wooten , alleges that there are dreadful conditions of severe neglect at the Irwin County Detention Center ( ICDC ) in Ocilla , Georgia , which is operated by private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues include a failure to test for infectious diseases , shredding of medical requests by incarcerated immigrants , fabricating medical records , as well as other hazardous and reckless actions by ICDC management , all while punishing immigrants with solitary confinement when they speak out against this treatment .
The complaint was filed with the Office of the Inspector General ( OIG ) for the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) by advocacy groups Project South , the South Georgia Immigrant Support Network , Georgia Detention Watch , and Georgia Latino Alliance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Project South say that women incarcerated at the private facility were subject to a strikingly high rate of hysterectomies , an operation in which the entire uterus or parts of it are surgically removed .
A large number of the immigrant women subject to the procedure were also confused when asked to explain why the surgery was necessary .
“ Recently , a detained immigrant told Project South that she talked to five different women detained at ICDC between October and December 2019 who had a hysterectomy done , ” the complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them about the surgery , the women ‘ reacted confused when explaining why they had one done.
’ The woman told Project South that it was as though the women were ‘ trying to tell themselves it ’ s going to be OK. ’ ” One detainee even likened her treatment to that of an experimental lab rat in a concentration camp .
“ When I met all these women who had had surgeries , I thought this was like an experimental concentration camp .
It was like they ’ re experimenting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The woman said that one particular gynecologist outside of the facility was responsible for the hysterectomies .
One woman wasn ’ t properly given anesthetics during her hysterectomy and overheard the doctor claim that he had removed the wrong ovary .
She eventually returned to the doctor to have her other ovary removed as well , Wooten said .
“ We ’ ve questioned among ourselves , like , goodness , he ’ s taking everybody ’ s stuff out , ” said Wooten , a former full-time employee at ICDC until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specialty , he ’ s the uterus collector .
I know that ’ s ugly.
” “ Is he collecting these things or something … Everybody he sees , he ’ s taking all their uteruses out or he ’ s taken their tubes out , ” she added .
“ Everybody ’ s uterus can not be that bad … What in the world.
” Wooten also noted that the detained women didn ’ t understand the medical purpose of the forced procedure , and some of the nurses who didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the detainees “ by simply googling Spanish.
” Another woman was scheduled for the hysterectomy but after questioning why the surgery was necessary , she was given several explanations about the procedure that were completely different .
“ She was originally told by the doctor that she had an ovarian cyst and was going to have a small twenty-minute procedure done drilling three small holes in her stomach to drain the cyst , ” the complaint alleged .
“ The officer who was transporting her to the hospital told her that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ womb removed , ” the complaint continued .
“ When the hospital refused to operate on her because her [ CV-19 ] test came back positive for antibodies , she was transferred back to ICDC where the ICDC nurse said that the procedure she was going to have done entailed dilating her v***** and scraping tissue off.
“ One immigrant complained that incarcerees are generally afraid that their stay at ICDC is tantamount to a death sentence .
“ I don ’ t want to die here , ” the immigrant said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be with my family … a lot of people are afraid.
” Another woman said that a nurse informed her that the procedure was meant to prevent her from continued heavy menstrual bleeding .
When the woman explained that she had never experienced such problems , the nurse snapped and “ responded by getting angry and agitated and began yelling at her.
” The incarcerated women also claim that they were forced to endure extremely unsanitary conditions in the medical and quarantine unit of the ICDC .
One woman claims that she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her cell because staffers deprived her of cleaning solutions , while another woman had to use her socks to wipe down her cell .
“ This place is not equipped for humans , ” one of the immigrants said .
“ This is the dirtiest facility I have ever been in : everything is dirty ; one shower for more than 50 people ; one bathroom for all of us ; I don ’ t even know how to give more details because it is all nasty , really nasty ; only God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The filthy conditions have driven many of the incarcerees to despair and led to several suicide attempts , one woman said .
“ If it wasn ’ t for my faith in God , I think I would have gone insane and just break down and probably gone as far as hurting myself , ” she explained .
“ There are a lot of people here who end up in medical trying to kill themselves because of how crazy it is.
” A LaSalle spokesperson told The Intercept that the private prison is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welfare of those in our care.
” “ We are deeply committed to delivering high-quality , culturally responsive services in safe and humane environments , ” the spokesperson added .
ICE has also responded to coverage of the complaint with a statement claiming that the testimonies of Wooten and the female detainees were “ anonymous , unproven allegations , made without any fact-checkable specifics.
” Tragically , the United States has an ugly track record of forcing people , especially from communities of color , into unwanted sterilization , which falls under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights abuse under international standards .
For over 70 years , California sterilized about 20,000 people in state institutions .
In the South , Black women were sterilized without their knowledge during C-sections when they were treated as “ practice ” by incoming medical students .
In other cases , sterilization was a condition of keeping welfare benefits .

(TMU) – A nurse at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center has filed a shocking whistleblower complaint through several legal advocacy groups that accuses the ICE facility of “jarring medical neglect” toward detainees, including an ongoing practice of performing mass hysterectomies performed on female prisoners.
The complaint, filed by a number of detained immigrants and the nurse, Dawn Wooten, alleges that there are dreadful conditions of severe neglect at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Ocilla, Georgia, which is operated by private prison company LaSalle South Corrections. The issues include a failure to test for infectious diseases, shredding of medical requests by incarcerated immigrants, fabricating medical records, as well as other hazardous and reckless actions by ICDC management, all while punishing immigrants with solitary confinement when they speak out against this treatment.
The complaint was filed with the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by advocacy groups Project South, the South Georgia Immigrant Support Network, Georgia Detention Watch, and Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights.
Multiple women interviewed by Project South say that women incarcerated at the private facility were subject to a strikingly high rate of hysterectomies, an operation in which the entire uterus or parts of it are surgically removed. A large number of the immigrant women subject to the procedure were also confused when asked to explain why the surgery was necessary.
“Recently, a detained immigrant told Project South that she talked to five different women detained at ICDC between October and December 2019 who had a hysterectomy done,” the complaint said. “When she talked to them about the surgery, the women ‘reacted confused when explaining why they had one done.’ The woman told Project South that it was as though the women were ‘trying to tell themselves it’s going to be OK.’”
One detainee even likened her treatment to that of an experimental lab rat in a concentration camp.
“When I met all these women who had had surgeries, I thought this was like an experimental concentration camp. It was like they’re experimenting with our bodies,” the detainee said.
The woman said that one particular gynecologist outside of the facility was responsible for the hysterectomies.
One woman wasn’t properly given anesthetics during her hysterectomy and overheard the doctor claim that he had removed the wrong ovary. She eventually returned to the doctor to have her other ovary removed as well, Wooten said.
“We’ve questioned among ourselves, like, goodness, he’s taking everybody’s stuff out,” said Wooten, a former full-time employee at ICDC until July. “That’s his specialty, he’s the uterus collector. I know that’s ugly.”
“Is he collecting these things or something … Everybody he sees, he’s taking all their uteruses out or he’s taken their tubes out,” she added. “Everybody’s uterus cannot be that bad … What in the world.”
Wooten also noted that the detained women didn’t understand the medical purpose of the forced procedure, and some of the nurses who didn’t speak Spanish managed to force consent from the detainees “by simply googling Spanish.”
Another woman was scheduled for the hysterectomy but after questioning why the surgery was necessary, she was given several explanations about the procedure that were completely different.
OIG Complaint by Law&Crime
“She was originally told by the doctor that she had an ovarian cyst and was going to have a small twenty-minute procedure done drilling three small holes in her stomach to drain the cyst,” the complaint alleged.
“The officer who was transporting her to the hospital told her that she was receiving a hysterectomy to have her womb removed,” the complaint continued. “When the hospital refused to operate on her because her [CV-19] test came back positive for antibodies, she was transferred back to ICDC where the ICDC nurse said that the procedure she was going to have done entailed dilating her vagina and scraping tissue off.“
One immigrant complained that incarcerees are generally afraid that their stay at ICDC is tantamount to a death sentence.
“I don’t want to die here,” the immigrant said. “Please release me, let me be with my family … a lot of people are afraid.”
Another woman said that a nurse informed her that the procedure was meant to prevent her from continued heavy menstrual bleeding. When the woman explained that she had never experienced such problems, the nurse snapped and “responded by getting angry and agitated and began yelling at her.”
The incarcerated women also claim that they were forced to endure extremely unsanitary conditions in the medical and quarantine unit of the ICDC. One woman claims that she was forced to use her shampoo to clean her cell because staffers deprived her of cleaning solutions, while another woman had to use her socks to wipe down her cell.
“This place is not equipped for humans,” one of the immigrants said. “This is the dirtiest facility I have ever been in: everything is dirty; one shower for more than 50 people; one bathroom for all of us; I don’t even know how to give more details because it is all nasty, really nasty; only God is taking care of us here.”
The filthy conditions have driven many of the incarcerees to despair and led to several suicide attempts, one woman said.
“If it wasn’t for my faith in God, I think I would have gone insane and just break down and probably gone as far as hurting myself,” she explained. “There are a lot of people here who end up in medical trying to kill themselves because of how crazy it is.”
A LaSalle spokesperson told The Intercept that the private prison is “firmly committed to the health and welfare of those in our care.”
“We are deeply committed to delivering high-quality, culturally responsive services in safe and humane environments,” the spokesperson added.
ICE has also responded to coverage of the complaint with a statement claiming that the testimonies of Wooten and the female detainees were “anonymous, unproven allegations, made without any fact-checkable specifics.”
Tragically, the United States has an ugly track record of forcing people, especially from communities of color, into unwanted sterilization, which falls under the category of eugenics and an egregious human rights abuse under international standards. For over 70 years, California sterilized about 20,000 people in state institutions. In the South, Black women were sterilized without their knowledge during C-sections when they were treated as “practice” by incoming medical students. In other cases, sterilization was a condition of keeping welfare benefits.
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.


themindunleashed--2020-09-17--Cop Keeps Job After Threatening To Kill Tenant And Sell His Child Over Late Rent Payment

( TMU ) – A crazed off-duty police officer threatened to kill his tenant and sell his child over a late rental payment , and was still able to keep his job after admitting to the accusations .
Ottawa Constable Nermin Mesic drove his tenant to a dead-end road and threatened to murder him , but luckily , the tenant was recording the entire conversation .
According to court documents , Mesic met his unnamed tenant on February 5 , 2016 , to discuss a late rent payment .
The two met at a Tim Hortons in Gatineau , Quebec @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a confrontation because he brought along a voice recorder .
When they met , Mesic ordered him into his car and took a short drive .
With the tenant in the car , Mesic began making threats , insisting that he was not a man to “ F*** with.
” “ I guarantee you I ’ m going to spill blood , ” Mesic said at one point during the drive .
Then , Mesic stopped the car on a nearby dead-end road and threatened to kill him .
“ People for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life is not worth to me $ 2,000 , ” Mesic said .
“ I guarantee you , I ’ m going to feed you to the fish , ” headed .
Mesic then gave him 24 hours to pay his rent , and told him that he would face physical consequences if he couldn ’ t come up with the money .
“ You know I ’ m going to come after you , I ’ m going to find out where you live , I ’ m going to find out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m going to—I ’ m going to bury you .
I will f***ing take your kid and I will sell it .
I don ’ t give a f*** , ” he said .
The next day , Mesic called the tenant again and threatened to hang him if he didn ’ t vacate the property .
This call was also recorded .
The tenant immediately handed the recordings over to the Gatineau police and told them about his violent encounter with the officer .
That day , Mesic was arrested and charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confinement , and intimidation .
However , for some reason , the tenant ultimately declined to press charges and the officer was able to avoid criminal court .
After the Ottawa Police Service was presented with the evidence , they allowed Mesic to keep his job after a paid suspension .
He was demoted from a first-class to a second-class constable but he will have his previous position reinstated after a year .
He was also ordered to attend therapy sessions due to his clear mental instability .
Mesic claimed that he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long shift , and claimed that he can say “ stupid s*** ” sometimes .
However , this situation does not appear to be an isolated incident , because he has a history of disciplinary problems as a police officer , including a 2009 conviction for slapping a teenager in the face .
Despite his demotion and the disgrace that he has brought to the police department , Mesic is still one of the highest paid public sector employees in Ontario , earning $ 102,527 last year .

(TMU) – A crazed off-duty police officer threatened to kill his tenant and sell his child over a late rental payment, and was still able to keep his job after admitting to the accusations.
Ottawa Constable Nermin Mesic drove his tenant to a dead-end road and threatened to murder him, but luckily, the tenant was recording the entire conversation.
According to court documents, Mesic met his unnamed tenant on February 5, 2016, to discuss a late rent payment. The two met at a Tim Hortons in Gatineau, Quebec. The tenant must have been prepared for a confrontation because he brought along a voice recorder. When they met, Mesic ordered him into his car and took a short drive.
With the tenant in the car, Mesic began making threats, insisting that he was not a man to “F*** with.”
“I guarantee you I’m going to spill blood,” Mesic said at one point during the drive.
Then, Mesic stopped the car on a nearby dead-end road and threatened to kill him.
“People for money, they kill right? Your life is not worth to me $2,000,” Mesic said.
“I guarantee you, I’m going to feed you to the fish,” headed.
Mesic then gave him 24 hours to pay his rent, and told him that he would face physical consequences if he couldn’t come up with the money.
“You know I’m going to come after you, I’m going to find out where you live, I’m going to find out how you live, and I’m going to—I’m going to bury you. I will f***ing take your kid and I will sell it. I don’t give a f***,” he said.
The next day, Mesic called the tenant again and threatened to hang him if he didn’t vacate the property. This call was also recorded. The tenant immediately handed the recordings over to the Gatineau police and told them about his violent encounter with the officer. That day, Mesic was arrested and charged with uttering threats, assault, forcible confinement, and intimidation. However, for some reason, the tenant ultimately declined to press charges and the officer was able to avoid criminal court.
After the Ottawa Police Service was presented with the evidence, they allowed Mesic to keep his job after a paid suspension. He was demoted from a first-class to a second-class constable but he will have his previous position reinstated after a year. He was also ordered to attend therapy sessions due to his clear mental instability.
Mesic claimed that he was having a rough night because of a long shift, and claimed that he can say “stupid s***” sometimes. However, this situation does not appear to be an isolated incident, because he has a history of disciplinary problems as a police officer, including a 2009 conviction for slapping a teenager in the face.
Despite his demotion and the disgrace that he has brought to the police department, Mesic is still one of the highest paid public sector employees in Ontario, earning $102,527 last year.
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.


themindunleashed--2020-09-16--NASA funded scientist claims new thruster can approach the speed of light

( TMU ) – The concept of interstellar travel has fascinated the human race for thousands of years .
Discoveries made in the last century , however , have both bolstered and dampened that fascination .
While the number of habitable star systems available for visitation has grown exponentially , the distance between these systems has grown more bleakly , mathematically daunting .
If we sent our fastest space probe to the nearest star , Alpha Centauri , it would take tens of thousands of years to arrive .
While galaxies look like homogenous swirls of star clusters , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a vast , intergalactic scale ; the extraordinary distances between stars still make crewed interstellar travel a dubious proposition that many scientists believe won ’ t be possible for centuries if at all .
However , in recent years , a number of technological models of propulsion – such as light sails pushed by lasers , ion thrusters , fusion engines , wormholes , and even hydrogen bombs – have made the concept of an interstellar probe that can travel a certain percentage of the speed of light increasingly possible .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Jim Woodward , a physics professor emeritus at Fullerton , who has proposed a Mach-effect gravitational assist ( MEGA ) drive .
Woodward has actually been developing his model for decades but has only recently found a rapt audience .
He posits that his drive could slowly accelerate with the help of a propulsion system based not on combustible fuel but rather electricity .
Based on a controversial sub-component to Einstein ’ s general relativity , Mach ’ s principle holds that inertia is directly tied to gravity and that this correlation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ propellantless propulsion.
” The thrust is generated by a stack of piezoelectric crystals , which store small amounts of energy and vibrate when electrified .
These tens of thousands of vibrations per second eventually synchronize in small volumes and that synchronicity produces physical momentum .
The crystals , or “ gizmos ” as Woodward calls them , produce changes in mass , or “ Mach effects , ” that slowly but surely accelerate to incredible speeds .
One of Woodward ’ s collaborators described the motion as “ rowing a boat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interior of the ship would probably need a nuclear reactor on-board to sustain electricity for the decades-long journey but , on its face , the theory seems to suggest that a starship could reach near the speed of light and deliver a crew across the interstellar gulf within a human lifetime .
For many years , Woodward ’ s thruster was considered absurdly improbable , but in recent years , tweaking and redesigning has gradually brought it around to something resembling respectable in the scientific community , so much so that he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NASA ’ s Innovative Advanced Concepts program .
Woodward , who at 80 is a survivor of stage IV lung cancer as well as Hodgkin ’ s lymphoma , has also invested about $ 200,000 of his own money into testing the MEGA thrusters .
His idea still has plenty of critics .
Mike McCulloch , a physicist at the University of Plymouth , says , “ In my opinion there is no merit to Woodward ’ s theory .
I think the experimental results are more interesting than the theory.
” Others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , physicist Hal Fearn , says that his doubts have been tempered by lab results .
“ I haven ’ t been able to disprove it , and believe me , I ’ ve been trying to disprove it for the last 10 years.
” While the MEGA drive is still considered fringe physics and the odds against it working still high – anywhere from 10-1 to 10 million-one – it is just these kinds of moonshot ideas that sometimes catapult humans to new heights .

(TMU) – The concept of interstellar travel has fascinated the human race for thousands of years. Discoveries made in the last century, however, have both bolstered and dampened that fascination. While the number of habitable star systems available for visitation has grown exponentially, the distance between these systems has grown more bleakly, mathematically daunting.
If we sent our fastest space probe to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, it would take tens of thousands of years to arrive. While galaxies look like homogenous swirls of star clusters, the reality is we are looking at it from a vast, intergalactic scale; the extraordinary distances between stars still make crewed interstellar travel a dubious proposition that many scientists believe won’t be possible for centuries if at all.
However, in recent years, a number of technological models of propulsion – such as light sails pushed by lasers, ion thrusters, fusion engines, wormholes, and even hydrogen bombs – have made the concept of an interstellar probe that can travel a certain percentage of the speed of light increasingly possible.
The newest and perhaps the strangest theory is by Jim Woodward, a physics professor emeritus at Fullerton, who has proposed a Mach-effect gravitational assist (MEGA) drive. Woodward has actually been developing his model for decades but has only recently found a rapt audience. He posits that his drive could slowly accelerate with the help of a propulsion system based not on combustible fuel but rather electricity.
Based on a controversial sub-component to Einstein’s general relativity, Mach’s principle holds that inertia is directly tied to gravity and that this correlation, in theory, clears the way for “propellantless propulsion.” The thrust is generated by a stack of piezoelectric crystals, which store small amounts of energy and vibrate when electrified. These tens of thousands of vibrations per second eventually synchronize in small volumes and that synchronicity produces physical momentum.
The crystals, or “gizmos” as Woodward calls them, produce changes in mass, or “Mach effects,” that slowly but surely accelerate to incredible speeds. One of Woodward’s collaborators described the motion as “rowing a boat on the ocean of spacetime.”
The interior of the ship would probably need a nuclear reactor on-board to sustain electricity for the decades-long journey but, on its face, the theory seems to suggest that a starship could reach near the speed of light and deliver a crew across the interstellar gulf within a human lifetime.
For many years, Woodward’s thruster was considered absurdly improbable, but in recent years, tweaking and redesigning has gradually brought it around to something resembling respectable in the scientific community, so much so that he has received a grant and a slot in NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program. Woodward, who at 80 is a survivor of stage IV lung cancer as well as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, has also invested about $200,000 of his own money into testing the MEGA thrusters.
His idea still has plenty of critics.
Mike McCulloch, a physicist at the University of Plymouth, says, “In my opinion there is no merit to Woodward’s theory. I think the experimental results are more interesting than the theory.”
Others, like Woodword’s own collaborator, physicist Hal Fearn, says that his doubts have been tempered by lab results. “I haven’t been able to disprove it, and believe me, I’ve been trying to disprove it for the last 10 years.”
While the MEGA drive is still considered fringe physics and the odds against it working still high – anywhere from 10-1 to 10 million-one – it is just these kinds of moonshot ideas that sometimes catapult humans to new heights.
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.


themindunleashed--2020-09-16--Lamborghini unveils GoKart Pro for adults for only $1,500 – and it looks insanely fun

( TMU ) – If you ’ ve ever dreamed of driving a Lamborghini but didn ’ t have the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to purchase the legendary sports car , this new electric go-kart from the Italian sports manufacturer might be right up your alley .
The new Lambo kart is hardly a luxury item on the level of a Huracan , Gallardo , Urus or even an old-school Countach – in fact , this electric racer comes in at an irresistible price-point of less than USD $ 1,500 .
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi , which owns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with the Italian carmaker to bring consumers the Ninebot GoKart Pro Lamborghini Edition , reports electrek .
Capable of reaching speeds of 25 mph ( 40 km/h ) , this Lamborghini Edition kart sports some serious upgrades over your typical Segway Ninebot kart .
The candy yellow racer is propelled by a self-balancing Xiaomi scooter , whle its rear tires have been swapped with high-traction rubber tires for safe turning .
It remains unclear whether you ’ ll be able to rip some gnarly burnouts with the scooter ’ s electric engine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ackermann steering , meaning that each wheel will have its own pivot to allow for sharp and accurate turning .
Functional headlights will ensure that there won ’ t be any nasty collisions or spills on the raceway , while the sick rear wing on the kart will give it sharp aerodynamism and handling improvements .
Four air ducts will help cool the 432Wh battery , which will power the Lamborghini GoKart for about 15.5 miles , or about 25 km – the equivalent of 62 laps around a 400 meter track .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ smartphone app , allowing parents to prevent kids from driving at speeds they feel might be too dangerous .
However , the big bucket seat and maximum passenger weight of 220 lb ( 100 kg ) will also allow adults to take a turn at the wheel .
Maxing out the wow factor on this ride , the kart also includes built-in Bluetooth speakers to allow you to play music or , if you so choose , you can simulate the roar of Lamborghini ’ s V8 and V12 piston engines , augmenting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s electric motor .
“ In addition , as a bonus , there is a program in the go-kart , which will ensure the release of loud noises , which will make not only the driver but also the surroundings reveal that there are beasts ‘ under the hood ’ , in the form of a Lamborghini engine , ” a press release from Xiaomi notes .
Of course , the Lamborghini Edition isn ’ t street legal , but it can be folded up and placed in the trunk of your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off to the track .
Xiaomi is a Chinese tech giant that remains relatively obscure in the United States but is popular among consumers in Latin America , Europe , and Asia due to its high-quality mid-range and budget Android smartphones that pack impressive specs into an affordable package .
The quirky smartphone manufacturer also produces a range of other strange yet affordable tech products , ranging from sleek miniature washer dryers to electric toothbrushes , e-bikes and scooters , air conditioners and even rice cookers – among other eccentric internet-connected devices that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ smart lifestyle ” products .
And now , you ’ ll be able to get your very own “ Lamborghini ” for the insanely low price of 9999 Chinese Yuan , or about $ 1,480 , from the Mi Store .
Xiamoi is putting the go-kart on sale for a measly $ 1,450 ( in Chinese yen ) starting tomorrow .

(TMU) – If you’ve ever dreamed of driving a Lamborghini but didn’t have the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed to purchase the legendary sports car, this new electric go-kart from the Italian sports manufacturer might be right up your alley.
The new Lambo kart is hardly a luxury item on the level of a Huracan, Gallardo, Urus or even an old-school Countach – in fact, this electric racer comes in at an irresistible price-point of less than USD $1,500.
Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, which owns personal transporter company Segway-Ninebot, has teamed up with the Italian carmaker to bring consumers the Ninebot GoKart Pro Lamborghini Edition, reports electrek.
Capable of reaching speeds of 25 mph (40 km/h), this Lamborghini Edition kart sports some serious upgrades over your typical Segway Ninebot kart.
The candy yellow racer is propelled by a self-balancing Xiaomi scooter, whle its rear tires have been swapped with high-traction rubber tires for safe turning. It remains unclear whether you’ll be able to rip some gnarly burnouts with the scooter’s electric engine.
The Lamborghini kart also sports true Ackermann steering, meaning that each wheel will have its own pivot to allow for sharp and accurate turning. Functional headlights will ensure that there won’t be any nasty collisions or spills on the raceway, while the sick rear wing on the kart will give it sharp aerodynamism and handling improvements.
Four air ducts will help cool the 432Wh battery, which will power the Lamborghini GoKart for about 15.5 miles, or about 25 km – the equivalent of 62 laps around a 400 meter track.
Speed limits can be adjusted using a smartphone app, allowing parents to prevent kids from driving at speeds they feel might be too dangerous. However, the big bucket seat and maximum passenger weight of 220 lb (100 kg) will also allow adults to take a turn at the wheel.
Maxing out the wow factor on this ride, the kart also includes built-in Bluetooth speakers to allow you to play music or, if you so choose, you can simulate the roar of Lamborghini’s V8 and V12 piston engines, augmenting the relatively quiet sound of the kart’s electric motor.
“In addition, as a bonus, there is a program in the go-kart, which will ensure the release of loud noises, which will make not only the driver but also the surroundings reveal that there are beasts ‘under the hood’, in the form of a Lamborghini engine,” a press release from Xiaomi notes.
Of course, the Lamborghini Edition isn’t street legal, but it can be folded up and placed in the trunk of your car so that it can be hauled off to the track.
Xiaomi is a Chinese tech giant that remains relatively obscure in the United States but is popular among consumers in Latin America, Europe, and Asia due to its high-quality mid-range and budget Android smartphones that pack impressive specs into an affordable package.
The quirky smartphone manufacturer also produces a range of other strange yet affordable tech products, ranging from sleek miniature washer dryers to electric toothbrushes, e-bikes and scooters, air conditioners and even rice cookers – among other eccentric internet-connected devices that comprise Xiaomi’s growing line of “smart lifestyle” products.
And now, you’ll be able to get your very own “Lamborghini” for the insanely low price of 9999 Chinese Yuan, or about $1,480, from the Mi Store.
Xiamoi is putting the go-kart on sale for a measly $1,450 (in Chinese yen) starting tomorrow.
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.


themindunleashed--2020-09-16--Hurricane Sally brings massive destruction to Gulf Coast in “epic proportion flooding event”

( TMU ) – While Hurricane Sally has weakened to a tropical storm , it has also unleashed massive destruction on the Gulf Coast at a steady , drawn-out rate while bringing “ catastrophic and life-threatening ” flooding to the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama , reports the National Hurricane Center .
A bruising storm surge and torrential rain has already demolished infrastructure , knocking down a section of the Pensacola Bay Bridge – also known as the Three-Mile Bridge – and inundating the city ’ s downtown in about 3 feet of rain while flooding neighborhoods , homes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are urgently warning residents to flee however they can as high water vehicles and boats conduct rescue efforts to help people escape their flooded homes .
“ We believe that this is an epic proportion flooding event , ” Escambia County Public Safety Director Jason Rogers told WEAR .
“ There is extremely high water , moving water that is very dangerous .
We don ’ t believe that we have yet seen the worst of the flooding.
” Sally , which managed to reach the level of a Category 2 hurricane with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a tropical storm early Wednesday after it made landfall near Gulf Shores , Alabama .
However , the storm ’ s impact remains deadly as winds hit 70 mph as of Wednesday afternoon while the eye of the storm was roughly 30 miles west-northwest of Pensacola .
Authorities are warning about the ferocity of the storm , which is creeping north-northeast at an excruciatingly grueling pace of only 5 mph , ensuring thorough destruction across the region as it threatens to potentially produce almost three feet of rain in areas as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the region .
“ We anticipate the evacuations could literally be in the thousands , ” warned Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan .
Upwards of half a million homes and businesses across Southern Alabama and the Florida panhandle had lost power as of Wednesday afternoon , according to poweroutage.us .
The National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for “ severe threat to human life & catastrophic damage from a flash flood ” The warning covers sections of coastal Alabama and the Florida Panhandle , as well as Gulf Shores and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 911 calls across Alabama and Florida all Wednesday , according to several local governments , but first-responders have struggled to rescue residents due to the treacherous conditions , according to Santa Rosa County Public Safety Director Brad Baker .
Boats across the area have been crushed or unmoored amid the raging storm , with some boats being slammed into tourist shops and restaurants along marinas .
One dramatic photo shared on Instagram showed a loose boat siting in the flooded courtyard of an Orange Beach condominium building , while flooded streets are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limbs .
Sally ’ s landfall came 16 years to the day since Category 3 Hurricane Ivan slammed the same area .
Many residents , well aware of the dangers of such storms , have prepared by purchasing essential supplies and preparing their generators for bruising storm surges .
However , the intensity and trajectory of the slow-moving tropical storm is likely to have unpredictable results .

(TMU) – While Hurricane Sally has weakened to a tropical storm, it has also unleashed massive destruction on the Gulf Coast at a steady, drawn-out rate while bringing “catastrophic and life-threatening” flooding to the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama, reports the National Hurricane Center.
A bruising storm surge and torrential rain has already demolished infrastructure, knocking down a section of the Pensacola Bay Bridge – also known as the Three-Mile Bridge – and inundating the city’s downtown in about 3 feet of rain while flooding neighborhoods, homes, and businesses across the region.
Authorities are urgently warning residents to flee however they can as high water vehicles and boats conduct rescue efforts to help people escape their flooded homes.
“We believe that this is an epic proportion flooding event,” Escambia County Public Safety Director Jason Rogers told WEAR. “There is extremely high water, moving water that is very dangerous. We don’t believe that we have yet seen the worst of the flooding.”
You can now see fallen crane on three mile bridge from the south bridge cam. https://t.co/AH1dn4N5FD pic.twitter.com/a0Rrq8lcXN — City of Gulf Breeze (@GulfBreezeCity) September 16, 2020
Sally, which managed to reach the level of a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 105 mph, downgrade to a tropical storm early Wednesday after it made landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama.
However, the storm’s impact remains deadly as winds hit 70 mph as of Wednesday afternoon while the eye of the storm was roughly 30 miles west-northwest of Pensacola.
Authorities are warning about the ferocity of the storm, which is creeping north-northeast at an excruciatingly grueling pace of only 5 mph, ensuring thorough destruction across the region as it threatens to potentially produce almost three feet of rain in areas as well as seven-foot-high storm surges, ensuring floods across the region.
“We anticipate the evacuations could literally be in the thousands,” warned Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan.
Upwards of half a million homes and businesses across Southern Alabama and the Florida panhandle had lost power as of Wednesday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us.
The National Weather Service declared a flash flood emergency for “severe threat to human life & catastrophic damage from a flash flood” The warning covers sections of coastal Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, as well as Gulf Shores and Pensacola.
Emergency services have been deluged by 911 calls across Alabama and Florida all Wednesday, according to several local governments, but first-responders have struggled to rescue residents due to the treacherous conditions, according to Santa Rosa County Public Safety Director Brad Baker.
Boats across the area have been crushed or unmoored amid the raging storm, with some boats being slammed into tourist shops and restaurants along marinas. One dramatic photo shared on Instagram showed a loose boat siting in the flooded courtyard of an Orange Beach condominium building, while flooded streets are filling up with debris and downed tree limbs.
Sally’s landfall came 16 years to the day since Category 3 Hurricane Ivan slammed the same area.
Many residents, well aware of the dangers of such storms, have prepared by purchasing essential supplies and preparing their generators for bruising storm surges.
However, the intensity and trajectory of the slow-moving tropical storm is likely to have unpredictable results.
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.


themindunleashed--2020-09-16--19 Families Buy Nearly 100 Acres To Create Their Own ‘Safe Community’

( TMU ) – 19 families calling themselves the “ Freedom Georgia Initiative ” have purchased nearly 100 acres of land and are planning to create a small community in rural Georgia , which they say will be a safe space for Black people .
The community will be located about 130 miles south of Atlanta and is about 97 total acres in size .
The plan began a few weeks ago when Renee Walters called her friend Ashley Scott and told her that the rural town of Toomsboro was for sale .
Scott is a real estate agent , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the area .
“ It was just such a beautiful piece of land .
It was affordable , and it just made sense that we could create something that would be amazing for our families , ” Scott said told CNN .
The women had been considering creating a safe community like this as an answer to the violence that black people face from police and racists , especially in places like Georgia .
“ So , watching our people protesting in the streets , while it is important , and I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bringing attention to the injustices of black people .
We needed to create a space and a place where we could be a village again , a tribe again , ” Walters said .
The two women then began reaching out to family and friends to see who would want to get involved and there was plenty of interest .
They say that while their community will be a safe place for Black people , it will not be exclusively Black .
“ It ’ s impossible to have anything exclusively Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are an integrated , tolerant and diverse community even as Black people , so we don ’ t intend for it to be exclusively Black , but we do intend for it to be pro Black in every way , ” Scott said .
Supporters of the community reportedly drove to the land from all over the country on Labor Day weekend for a “ Big Black Camp Out.
” Now that the property is purchased , the Freedom Georgia Initiative plans to start building farms , facilities for recreation , and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they hope to expand the area into a fully operational city .
“ By being able to create a community that is thriving , that is safe , that has agriculture and commercial businesses that are supporting one another and that dollars circulating in our community .
That is our vision , to be able to pass this land down to my children and to the children that are represented by each of our 19 families as a piece of legacy , ” Scott said .
Jessica Gordon Nembhard , author of Collective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice and professor of community justice at John Jay College , said that this idea is actually fairly common throughout history .
“ We have a very long history of doing cooperative economics , economic cooperation , creating our own communal towns .
More recently , we ’ ve been establishing community land trust , which actually give official land ownership to the community , ” Nembhard said .

(TMU) – 19 families calling themselves the “Freedom Georgia Initiative” have purchased nearly 100 acres of land and are planning to create a small community in rural Georgia, which they say will be a safe space for Black people. The community will be located about 130 miles south of Atlanta and is about 97 total acres in size.
The plan began a few weeks ago when Renee Walters called her friend Ashley Scott and told her that the rural town of Toomsboro was for sale. Scott is a real estate agent, so she began looking for listings in the area.
“It was just such a beautiful piece of land. It was affordable, and it just made sense that we could create something that would be amazing for our families,” Scott said told CNN.
The women had been considering creating a safe community like this as an answer to the violence that black people face from police and racists, especially in places like Georgia.
“So, watching our people protesting in the streets, while it is important, and I want people to stay out in the streets, bringing attention to the injustices of black people. We needed to create a space and a place where we could be a village again, a tribe again,” Walters said.
The two women then began reaching out to family and friends to see who would want to get involved and there was plenty of interest.
They say that while their community will be a safe place for Black people, it will not be exclusively Black.
“It’s impossible to have anything exclusively Black because our families are integrated. We are an integrated, tolerant and diverse community even as Black people, so we don’t intend for it to be exclusively Black, but we do intend for it to be pro Black in every way,” Scott said.
Supporters of the community reportedly drove to the land from all over the country on Labor Day weekend for a “Big Black Camp Out.”
Now that the property is purchased, the Freedom Georgia Initiative plans to start building farms, facilities for recreation, and even a lake for fishing. Eventually, they hope to expand the area into a fully operational city.
“By being able to create a community that is thriving, that is safe, that has agriculture and commercial businesses that are supporting one another and that dollars circulating in our community. That is our vision, to be able to pass this land down to my children and to the children that are represented by each of our 19 families as a piece of legacy,” Scott said.
Jessica Gordon Nembhard, author of Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice and professor of community justice at John Jay College, said that this idea is actually fairly common throughout history.
“We have a very long history of doing cooperative economics, economic cooperation, creating our own communal towns. More recently, we’ve been establishing community land trust, which actually give official land ownership to the community,” Nembhard said.
Like this article? Get the latest from The Mind Unleashed in your inbox. Sign up right here.