'they will do anything'

'A true believer'

Despite being just 5 years old and suffering from stage 4 brain cancer, an adorable little boy in the UK is climbing the charts with a new song. Jack Gyde was diagnosed with Stage 4 High-Risk Neuroblastoma earlier this year after his mom Sarah noticed him limping, and a song released to raise money for […] The post Charity Song Raises Money for Boy with Cancer–and Overtakes Kylie Minogue and Coldplay in Downloads appeared first on Good News Network.

News The Boys Oh Boy! Vought Rising, A Prequel to The Boys Starring Jensen Ackles & Aya Cash Is Happening The murder mystery series will be set in the 1950s. By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on July 26, 2024 Credit: Amazon Studios Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: Amazon Studios Season four of The Boys just ended, but that didn’t stop the cast from storming Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con. And while the mothership series waxed poetic about Homelander drinking breast milk, among other things, Jensen Ackles broke the news in person that he and Aya Cash, who joined by video, would produce and star in a prequel series called Vought Rising. According to Deadline, Paul Grellong will serve as showrunner while Eric Kripke, the creative force behind the Amazon MGM Studios franchise, serves as Executive Producer. “We are excited to bring you the next deranged series from the world of The Boys,” Kripke and Grellong said (via Deadline) before lifting the veil on the time period and premise of the prequel. “It’s a twisted murder mystery about the origins of Vought in the 1950s, the early exploits of Soldier Boy, and the diabolical maneuvers of a Supe known to fans as Stormfront, who was then going by the name Clara Vought,” they said.“We cannot wait to blow your minds and trouble your souls with this salacious, grisly saga drenched in blood and Compound V.” This prequel is just the latest installment in The Boys universe. There’s the mothership show, of course, as well as the animated series The Boys Presents: Diabolical and the collegiate spinoff, Gen V, which was picked up for a second season. Another series, The Boys: Mexico, is also in production. [end-mark] The post Oh Boy! <i>Vought Rising</i>, A Prequel to <i>The Boys</i> Starring Jensen Ackles & Aya Cash Is Happening appeared first on Reactor.

News The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power The Rings of Power Trailer: Tom Bombadil! Ents! Oh Yeah, and Some Ring Stuff The second season is packed full of figures you might recognize… By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on July 26, 2024 Screenshot: Prime Video Comment 0 Share New Share Screenshot: Prime Video The cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power took to Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con today, where they shared an impressive trailer that teases what we’ll see in the show’s upcoming season. The trailer has A LOT. There’s Rory Kinnear bringing Tom Bombadil to life on-screen! There’s Ents, Ents I say! And Eagles! And there’s also a lot of ring talk. The rings have power, of course, but can also corrupt! Will the rings that the elves, dwarves, and men wield work to bring Sauron (Charlie Vickers) into power instead of preventing him from doing so? How will they influence those who wield them? And when will Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) realize that sexy elven Sauron is bad, actually. We’ll have to wait to find out, of course. Though luckily, not too long. Here’s the official synopsis of the upcoming episodes to further wet your whistle: Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will. Building on Season One’s epic scope and ambition, Season Two of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots… as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all… each other. The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on Prime Video on August 29, 2024. Check out the latest trailer below. [end-mark] The post The Rings of Power Trailer: Tom Bombadil! Ents! Oh Yeah, and Some Ring Stuff appeared first on Reactor.

A newly resurfaced memo put out by Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign outlines her plan to “fundamentally transform” the criminal justice system by reducing penalties for criminals. In 2019, Harris promised to end cash bail, get rid of court-ordered fines, expunge the records of some felons, discontinue federal mandatory minimum sentences and to place greater federal scrutiny on local police departments, according to a memo resurfaced Thursday by the Washington Free Beacon. While Harris has previously supported weakening law enforcement, her campaign is preparing to present her to voters as a law and order candidate in contrast to former President Donald Trump, CNN reported. “It is long past time to re-envision public safety by strengthening and supporting our communities and drastically limiting the number of people we expose to our criminal justice system,” the memo reads. “As president, Kamala will fundamentally transform how we approach public safety.” Nearly 60% of Americans surveyed in January, including roughly half of Democrats, said that the president and Congress should make addressing crime a priority, according to the Pew Research Center. A similar proportion of registered voters, 61%, told Pew in April that the criminal justice system is not tough enough on criminals. “Excessive cash bail disproportionately harms people from low-income communities and communities of color,” Harris’ 2019 memo reads. She characterized cash bail systems as “criminalizing poverty” and vowed to end them. Ending cash bail has led to a backlash in some major cities, with New Yorkers in February 2022 overwhelmingly supporting tightening bail laws following an increase in crime, the New York Post reported. The Texas Organizing Project, a George Soros-backed nonprofit that opposes cash bail, bonded out a man who allegedly went on to murder six people and shoot three others in December 2023. “In addition, we need to eliminate court fees and fees associated with diversion, treatment, or community supervision that make it harder for individuals to reintegrate into society,” Harris’ memo continued. The memo no longer appears on Harris’ campaign website, though it remains on the vice president’s Medium page. Harris also promised to automatically remove “offenses that are not serious or violent” from criminals’ records after five years, according to the memo. The memo does not define what a “serious” offense is. She also supported restoring voting rights to all those who have served criminal records, per the memo, and advocated for more federal oversight of local police departments, citing alleged “racial profiling” and “excessive force.” The now-Vice President proposed a “National Police Systems Review Board” that “would collect data and review police shootings and other cases of severe misconduct,” according to the memo. She also promised to provide the Department of Justice with resources to provide grants to fund greater scrutiny of officers who shoot suspects, and pledged to reinstate an executive order restricting the sale of certain military equipment to police departments. Harris’ support for weakening law enforcement extends beyond one campaign memo. In 2020, she praised the defund the police movement during a radio interview for “rightly” calling out the amount of money spent on police departments, CNN reported. Harris also lauded Los Angeles for cutting its police department’s budget by $150 million, according to the NYP. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation The post Kamala Harris Wanted to End Cash Bail, Reduce Penalties for Criminals appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Do want your chickens to love you forever? Or, offer them countless hours of wholesome entertainment? Come learn how to make healthy homemade chicken treats with our DIY flock block recipe. It’s easy to do, and gives you the ultimate control of the quality and ingredients used. The end result is far superior to any treat block you could buy! Our girls LOVE their homemade flock block, tucked inside a durable hanging treat net. Disclosure: Homestead and Chill is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. About Flock Block We recently wanted to get a flock block to keep our 15 week old pullets occupied while we were away from home for a few days. However, all of the pre-made ones had added calcium for laying hens (not good for younger birds or mixed flocks) or other “supplements” and questionable ingredients we preferred to avoid. So we made our own flock block recipe, using natural ingredients we already had stocked at home. If you aren’t familiar, a “flock block” is like an extra large birdseed block for chickens. It’s made out of various grains and seeds, held together into a solid brick with the aid of natural binding ingredients. DIY flock blocks are awesome boredom busters, perfect for a slow winter day or times when your chickens can’t get out to play. They will long outlast other treats, keeping your chickens happy and entertained with something to peck at for many hours or even days. While all chicken treats should be offered in moderation, this flock block recipe is made primarily of chicken feed and other high-protein ingredients. Therefore, it doesn’t interfere with their nutritional needs like other treats can. RELATED: Want to give your chickens the most nutritious food possible AND save money? Come learn how to ferment chicken feed! Plus see our comprehensive list of what can chickens eat for more safe and healthy treat ideas. Ingredients and Supplies Here is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make a flock block, including some easy substitutions. These goodies are not only safe for chickens to eat, but provide some stellar health benefits as well! Our recipe was adapted from one shared by our friends at Scratch and Peck feeds. This DIY flock block recipe will make about one 1-pound block or a couple smaller blocks. To bake it, you can use a bread loaf pan or small glass baking dish lined with parchment paper. (We used a 1.5 pound loaf pan but it wasn’t completely full.) The size doesn’t need to be exact. Chicken Feed. This DIY flock block recipe works really well using a whole grain feed or “mash” – like our favorite organic Scratch and Peck chicken feed. If you use a pellet or crumble chicken feed, simply swap the called-for amounts of feed and scratch in the recipe below (e.g. use 2 cups of scratch and only 1 cup of feed, instead of 2 cups feed and 1 cup scratch.) Scratch Grains. The addition of scratch gives your chickens some extra tempting goodies to peck at. Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. High in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, plain black oil sunflower seeds are a fantastic treat for chickens. Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats. Whole raw oats are high in antioxidants, fiber and protein, and help bulk up the chicken treat block with some healthy starch. Mealworms or grubs add a welcome pop of protein to the chicken treat block – and are sure to catch their eye! Flour (or cornmeal). Flour helps acts as a binding agent, helping to hold the block together in one solid brick. Since it’s more nutritious, we prefer to use whole wheat flour in our DIY flock block recipe – though you can use all purpose flour, bread flour, or even cornmeal. Unsulphured black strap molasses is a popular feed additive for chickens, and also helps bind the treat block together. Rich in antioxidants, iron, calcium and other minerals, it’s great for heart health and digestion. Yet be sure to get the right kind! Unsulphured black strap molasses is boiled down several times to become much thicker and lower in sugar compared to other types. We also use it in our ginger molasses sourdough cookies and to make compost tea. Coconut oil. Melted coconut oil helps to coat and bind the grains together. Coconut oil also is a great source of antioxidants, and can help aid in digestion and the utilization of nutrients in poultry. If you don’t have any coconut oil on hand, you could also use olive or vegetable oil. Eggs. If you have chickens, you’re likely aware that yes, they can eat eggs! In fact, they often do so in nature. They’re loaded with nutrients and protein after all. Eggs also serve as an important binding agent in this recipe. Optional Spices I’ve included a few extra healthy spices to our flock block recipe, including garlic, cinnamon, chili powder and oregano. Feel free to use just one, two, or all of them in yours! Garlic is excellent for chickens. It helps to boost their immune system, support healthy gut bacteria, and can even neutralize the odor of their poo. Cinnamon and chili powder also support the immune system, gut health, and overall growth in poultry. Studies show they can even serve as natural alternatives to antibiotics. Oregano is another popular natural chicken supplement. It has potent antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and helps to improve respiratory, immune, and digestive health. Oregano even fights coccidiosis – a common chicken protozoal disease! What about corn? Chickens do love corn… but it also heats them up! As chickens digest corn, it raises their internal body temperature. Therefore, we purposefully avoided corn in this recipe because we often make flock blocks during the summer. Yet if you’re making one during colder conditions, feel free to use scratch that contains corn, swap the flour for cornmeal, or add a 1/2 cup of cracked corn instead of rolled oats. RELATED: Learn 10 ways how to keep chickens cool in the summer or get tips on how to keep chickens warm in winter. Flock Block Recipe 2 cups chicken feed* 1 cup scratch grains* 3/4 cup black oil sunflower seeds 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats 1/2 cup dried mealworms or grubs 1/2 cup flour (whole wheat preferred) 1/2 cup unsulphured black strap molasses 1/2 cup melted coconut oil 4 eggs, whisked *Note: We use a whole grain mash feed. If you use pellets or crumble feed, only use 1 cup of feed and 2 cups of scratch grains instead. Optional 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 2 Tbsp dried oregano 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or chili powder, OR 1 tsp red chili flakes Instructions Pre-heat the oven to 325°F. First, combine all of the called-for dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including the chicken feed, scratch, mealworms, sunflower seeds, oatmeal, flour, dried herbs and seasonings. Mix well. Then thoroughly whisk together all of the wet ingredients in a separate small bowl, including the melted coconut oil, eggs, molasses, and fresh garlic. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry bowl, mixing as you go. The texture can vary slightly depending on the type of feed and scratch you use, so if it seems extra dry or crumbly, feel free to add an additional tablespoon or two of molasses. Yet keep in mind it will all stick together better than you’d expect once it bakes! (It will NOT clump together in one mass like cookie dough before baking.) Transfer the mixture to a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Use the back of a wide spoon or spatula to press the mixture down, packing it flat and level into the pan. It should be about 2 inches thick, though a tad thicker is okay too. Bake your homemade flock block on 325°F for about 35 minutes. Add 5 to 10 minutes for blocks that are 3 inches or thicker. If you break it up into two smaller pans/blocks, bake for 30 minutes instead. Allow the treat block to cool in the pan. It will stiffen up more as it dries. If you don’t give it to your chickens right away, store the flock block in the fridge and use within one week. Feeding Chickens DIY Flock Block Now for the best part! It’s time for your chickens to enjoy their new delicious homemade treat. Serve the DIY flock block on a tray or platter, or put it inside a hanging treat basket. Since we have 14 chickens, I usually break ours into two halves (and put them on two different trays) to reduce crowding and competition. Some treat block recipes say you can poke a hole in the block before baking, so you could theoretically hang up the block by a string. However, these things are fairly heavy! I’m not sure how well that would hold up – especially once the chickens start pecking at it. We’ve found these durable hanging treat nets work great instead. Here, I broke the block in half and put both halves inside the hanging treat basket to make it more like a big cube. Well friends (and feathered friends) – I hope you all enjoy this easy treat block recipe as much as our flock does. If so, it would be amazing and much appreciated if you leave a review below! Finally, please let us know if you have any questions, and have fun baking. Print Best Flock Block Recipe: How to Make a Chicken Treat Block Learn how to make healthy homemade chicken treats with our easy DIY flock block recipe. It will keep your chickens happy and entertained! Course Chicken FeedKeyword chicken treat block, diy flock block, flock block, homemade chicken treats Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 35 minutes minutes Equipmentbread loaf pan or shallow glass baking panParchment Paper Ingredients2 cups chicken feed (whole grain or mash feed) Use only 1 cup if using pellets or crumble1 cup scratch grains (use 2 cups scratch if using pellet or crumble feed)3/4 cup black oil sunflower seeds1/2 cup dried mealworms or grubs1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (raw/dry)1/2 cup flour (whole wheat preferred) or cornmeal1/2 cup unsulphured black strap molasses1/2 cup coconut oil, melted4 eggs, whiskedOptional spices2 cloves raw garlic, chopped2 Tbsp dried oregano1 tsp ground cinnamon1/2 tsp dried chili powder or cayenne powder (or 1 tsp red chili flakes) InstructionsPre-heat oven to 325°F.Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: chicken feed, scratch, mealworms, sunflower seeds, oatmeal, flour, dried herbs and seasonings. Mix well.Whisk together all wet ingredients in a separate small bowl: melted coconut oil, eggs, molasses, and fresh garlic.Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry bowl, mixing as you go.* Transfer the mixture to a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Use the back of a wide spoon or spatula to press the mixture down, packing it flat and level into the pan. It should be about 2 inches thick, though a tad thicker is okay too.Bake on 325°F for about 35 minutes. Add 5 to 10 minutes for blocks that are 3 inches or thicker. If you break it up into two smaller pans/blocks, bake for 30 minutes instead.Allow the treat block to cool in the pan. It will stiffen up more as it dries.Serve to chickens on a platter, plate, or in a hanging treat basket. If made in advance, store in the fridge and use within one week. Notes*Note: The texture can vary slightly depending on the type of feed and scratch you use, so if it seems extra dry or crumbly, feel free to add an additional tablespoon or two of molasses. Yet keep in mind it will all stick together better than you’d expect once it bakes! (It will NOT clump together in one mass like cookie dough before baking.) Did you enjoy this article? Want to hear more? Stay in touch! Sign up below to receive weekly updates on new posts from Homestead and Chill. The post Best Flock Block Recipe: How to Make a Chicken Treat Block appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. X users are starting to discover that their posts and interactions are being utilized to enhance Grok, a generative AI chatbot. This practice was initiated without prior notification. In X’s settings, a newly added “Data sharing” toggle suggests that any data created or interacted with on the platform may contribute to “training and fine-tuning” Grok. Previously, Grok’s training was limited to a disparate set of texts available publicly online, and it did not approach the sophistication or breadth of data sets used by competitors like ChatGPT or Co-Pilot. X maintains that allowing Grok to access a live stream of public X posts enhances its ability to deliver timely and diverse responses to user queries. In theory, Grok aims to better understand human language and communication, deliver more relevant and engaging replies, and develop a balanced viewpoint without political bias, even attempting to cultivate a sense of humor. However, the manner in which X has rolled out this feature raises significant privacy concerns. The capability to contribute data to Grok’s training is set to on by default and the option to opt-out is somewhat obscured, found only within the web version of X. This implies that many users, particularly those accessing X via mobile, are unwittingly training the AI with their data. Users concerned about their digital footprint and data privacy must navigate to the “Privacy & Safety” settings on X’s web version to disable the default setting under “Data sharing and personalization” for Grok. On X web select “Privacy & Safety” Under “Data sharing and personalization,” select “Grok” Turn off the option “Allow your posts as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok to be used for training and fine-tuning.” If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post X’s Grok AI Feeds on Your Data: How To Turn it Off appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. FBI Director Christopher Wray has used a congressional hearing organized after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump to launch another attack against encryption and use that as justification for the state of the investigation. Appearing before the House Judiciary Committee this week, Wray was supposed to speak about the FBI’s investigation into this extremely serious incident, as well as about what the committee said is “the ongoing politicization” of the agency under his and Attorney-General Merrick Garland’s direction. But Wray turned it into blaming encrypted apps and services for the pace of the investigation. Quite extraordinarily for a person who is supposed to be highly knowledgeable about security, the FBI chief came across as oblivious to how essential encryption is for people’s online security – from their bank transactions to their communications. Instead, he complained that it is difficult to break into accounts on encrypted platforms, that is, to break encryption – a situation that the FBI head said has “unfortunately become very commonplace.” He went on to claim that law enforcement at all levels, federal, state, and local finds it “a real challenge.” Reports say that the FBI had “early success” in breaking into the phone of the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, using tools provided by Cellebrite. This is an Israeli company that oddly advertises its wares as “accelerating justice.” Wray did not reveal which platforms host the accounts belonging to Crooks that the FBI says it has trouble accessing but noted that “legal process returns” are awaited to accomplish that goal. And in the meanwhile, he told the Committee, US law enforcement still doesn’t know why Crooks did what he did, implying that investigators are hampered by their inability to break encryption on apps, even though they have access to the shooter’s phone and laptop. But, the “motive or ideology” that drove Crooks to attempt to assassinate Trump remains unclear, according to Wray. And he is strongly suggesting – always referencing encryption as the culprit – that this may remain so for good. “Some places we’ve been able to look, some places we will be able to look, some places we may never be able to see, no matter how good our legal process is,” the FBI director told the committee. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post FBI Director Wray Uses Trump Assassination Attempt To Criticize Private Messaging appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Say, Remember When Kamala Backed 'Defund the Police,' Asks ...