These are called "anti-homeless spikes." They're about as friendly as they sound. As you may have guessed, they're intended to deter people who are homeless from sitting or sleeping on that concrete step. And yeah, they're pretty awful.The spikes are a prime example of how cities design spaces to keep homeless people away.Not all concrete steps have spikes on them, but outdoor seating in cities like Montreal and Tokyo have been sneakily designed to prevent people from resting too comfortably for too long.This guy sawing through a bench was part of a 2006 protest in Toulouse, France, where public seating intentionally included armrests to prevent people from lying down.Of course, these designs do nothing to fight the cause or problem of homelessness. They're just a way of saying to homeless people, "Go somewhere else. We don't want to look at you," basically.One particular set of spikes was outside a former night club in London. And a local group got sick of staring at them.Leah Borromeo is part of the art collective "Space, Not Spikes" — a group that's fed up with what she describes as "hostile architecture.""Spikes do nothing more than shoo the realities of poverty and inequality away from your backyard — so you don't have to see it or confront what you can do to make things more equal," Borromeo told Upworthy. "And that is really selfish.""Our moral compass is skewed if we think things like this are acceptable."The move by Space, Not Spikes has caused quite a stir in London and around the world. The simple but impactful idea even garnered support from music artist Ellie Goulding."That was amazing, wasn't it?" Borromeo said of Goulding's shout-out on Instagram."[The project has] definitely touched a nerve and I think it is because, as a whole, humans will still look out for each other," Borromeo told Upworthy. "Capitalism and greed conditions us to look out for ourselves and negate the welfare of others, but ultimately, I think we're actually really kind.""We need to call out injustice and hypocrisy when we see it."These spikes may be in London, but the U.S. definitely has its fair share of anti-homeless sentiment, too.Spikes are pretty obvious — they're a visual reminder of a problem many cities are trying to ignore. But what we can't see on the street is the rise of anti-homeless laws that have cropped up from sea to shining sea.Legislation that targets homeless people — like bans on panhandling and prohibiting people from sleeping in cars — has increased significantly in recent years.For instance, a report by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty that analyzed 187 American cities found that there's been a 43% hike in citywide bans on sitting or lying down in certain spaces since 2011.Thankfully, groups like "Space, Not Spikes" are out there changing hearts and minds. But they need our help.The group created a video to complement its work and Borromeo's hoping its positive underlying message will motivate people to do better."[The world] won't always be happy-clappy because positive social change needs constructive conflict and debate," she explained. "But we need to call out injustice and hypocrisy when we see it."Check out their video below:This article originally appeared on 07.24.15

South Carolina's statehouse boasts some two dozen statues honoring individuals from statesmen to "heroes" of the Confederacy, but there's a glaring omission from the lineup. Up until now, the former Confederate state—where the Civil War began at Fort Sumter and where approximately 1 in 4 residents is Black—has never erected an individual monument of a Black American.In a unanimous bipartisan decision led by Republican Rep. Brandon Cox, Robert Smalls will become the first to be honored in this way, and his heroic life certainly earned him the accolade. As Cox told the Associated Press, "We’ve got a lot of history, good and bad. This is our good history."Smalls was born into slavery in Beaufort, South Carolina, in 1839. He and his mother lived together in a small cabin behind their enslaver's mansion until Smalls was sent to Charleston at age 12 to be hired out. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, he was in his early 20s and soon found himself an enslaved crewmember of a ship that was contracted out to the Confederate Army. There he was, an enslaved man sailing a steamboat for an army that was fighting to keep him enslaved. Robert Smalls, S.C. M.C. Born in Beaufort, SC, April 1839Library of CongressLate one night, when the white crewmembers had all gone ashore, Smalls and the other enslaved crewmembers stole the ship with Smalls as pilot. They sailed to a wharf where they picked up their family members, then they made their way north. The sixteen enslaved people aboard managed to sail right on past Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie, where Confederate forces were stationed, thanks to Smalls donning a captain's hat and knowing the proper signals to give as they passed. He steered the ship to the naval blockade and turned the ship over to the U.S. Navy. The enslaved crew and their families were now free Americans. But Smalls didn't stop there. He provided valuable intelligence to the Union since he knew the Confederate waters well and served for the remainder of the war. He became the first Black person to serve as a pilot for the U.S. Navy and fought 17 Civil War battles as the captain of the very ship he has stolen. His status as war hero was solidified. But he didn't stop there, either. Robert Smalls' house in Beaufort, South CarolinaPublic Domain He returned to Beaufort in 1864 and used the reward money he's received from turning over the Confederate ship to buy the home of his former enslaver at a tax auction. In just three years, Smalls had gone from enslaved man to war hero and owner of his former owner's property. And he became well known for it. He started his own business and advocated for public education. The people of Beaufort saw him as a leader and he began to rise politically. He served as a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention in 1868, then as a state representative, then state senator, then as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, and finally as a representative in the U.S. Congress. He ended up serving five terms in the House of Representatives during the Reconstruction Era, when Black Americans voted in large numbers for the first time and were elected to government positions. According to the National Parks Service, Beaufort was viewed as a symbol of successful Reconstruction policies, with formerly enslaved people engaging in education, politics, and land ownership in the former Confederate county. - YouTube youtu.be However, the glory of that era didn't last as white Southerners regained political power. By the time Smalls died in 1915, segregation laws were widespread and the freedom that had been so hard won for Black Americans in the South had been curtailed. Even Smalls' incredible life story was largely forgotten by the "Lost Cause" rewriting of Civil War history. However, the 21st century has seen historians setting the record straight and uplifting heroes like Robert Smalls who have not gotten the national recognition they deserve. After years of lobbying by the community of Beaufort to have Smalls and the reality of the Reconstruction Era recognized, January 2017, President Barack Obama issued an executive order establishing Reconstruction Era National Monument (now known as Reconstruction Era National Historical Park) in Beaufort County in January 2017. And now South Carolina will erect a statue in Smalls' honor on the grounds of the statehouse. It's worth noting that the idea has been floated for years with bipartisan and biracial support, but had always faced some quiet opposition. Now it looks like everyone's on board, so it's just a matter of working out the exact design and location for the statue. It's been a long time coming, but South Carolina is finally highlighting history we can all be proud of—a historic step in the right direction.

Strap what appears to be a giant ball on your back and go for a long walk. Chances are, you'll wind up with a dog following you. That's just common sense. So when a map view worker put on their backpack with its orb of cameras at the top to capture the walking paths of an island in South Korea, they probably weren't surprised to find they had an adorable stalker. The results are over 1,000 images of the island of Jukdo featuring a delighted Golden Retriever. Jukdo Island: a scenic and eco-rich paradise This Golden Retriever followed a Google Map Snapper and appeared in over 1000 photos by u/-TheMidpoint- ininterestingasfuck Situated just off South Korea’s coast, Jukdo Island is known for its scenic coastline and eco-rich environment, making it a popular destination for tourists who arrive by daily ferry service. Jukdo’s landscapes, already a treat, become even more delightful when accompanied by the golden retriever, who seemed determined to keep the photographer company at every stop. The internet can’t get enough of this Golden Retriever Reddit user TheMidpoint shared the story on r/interestingasf***, where it quickly went viral with more than 90,000 upvotes in just a few hours. The heartwarming thread struck a chord with other Reddit users. eisme reminisced, “I had a lab who was like this Golden. He would follow anyone, anywhere. He figured everyone loved him like we did. He was right.” "Golden having his golden moment. ? ? ?" — **717_valkyrie** TikTok users were just as enchanted by the canine travel companion. A video on the platform wracked up over half a million likes, with one user, αмєℓια, calling it “the most golden retriever thing ever.” Just the latest in a long line of scene-stealing critters The scene-stealing Golden of Jukdo is among the most recent in a long line of photogenic animals ready for their close-ups. Dixie the fox might just be the most notorious thief on the internet, with a hilarious viral video showing her snagging her owner’s phone and sprinting off, trying to bury it along the way. Posted by SaveAFox, the video has racked up over 16 million views, thanks to Dixie’s playful—and oddly cinematic—antics. Fans of the video were quick to admire Dixie’s “cinematography skills,” joking that her escape feels like a Disney chase scene. One commenter even wrote, “I’m amazed at how we got three different angles when Dixie was running away with the phone ?.” In another viral video that captured the hearts of Reddit’s r/MadeMeSmile community, a dog owner decided to get creative by strapping a camera to a stick and giving it to his pup, giving the world a new “dog POV” experience. The results? Pure canine charm. Viewers got to see a dog's-eye view of the world—scenes of scampering, sniffing, and, of course, curious pauses for squirrels—all from the perspective of a four-legged friend on an adventure. The Reddit post earned over 19,000 upvotes, as viewers praised the joyful simplicity captured in the video. MAN GIVES CAMERA TO HIS DOG AND CREATES THE GREATEST DOG POV VIDEO IN HISTORY by inMadeMeSmile The comments were flooded with praise, with one Redditor writing, “Could literally be having the worst day ever, watch a dog video like this, and I suddenly get reset for the rest of the day. Dogs are such a blessing.” "The dog has a face like, 'what am I supposed to do with this?!'" — @PeacefulCouch Another commenter joked that the dog’s expression when handed the camera was priceless, saying, “They know it’s not something to be in their mouth but then realize it’s okay.” Through this adorable POV video, it’s easy to see why dogs continue to be some of the internet’s favorite scene-stealers. via GIPHY Whether it’s a Golden Retriever in South Korea, a clever fox on a mission to hide a phone, or a camera-toting pup capturing the world from their view, these moments are reminders of the simple joy animals bring to our lives. In a world that can feel chaotic, a dose of humor and heart from our furry friends has a way of connecting us all, one adorable adventure at a time. And who knows? The next viral pet star might be right around the corner—or maybe just wagging its tail in your own backyard.

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by Rhoda Wilson, Expose News: The human leukocyte antigen (“HLA”) system is a complex of genes on chromosome 6 in humans that encode cell-surface proteins responsible for regulating the immune system. Tampering with HLA gene expression leads to autoimmune chaos – and this is precisely what mRNA injections called “vaccines” do.  This is not a […]