Hello, here to seek advice and also, perhaps, share a warning of something that happened in our community.
It was about 5:25pm on Tuesday 3/28 when I looked down at my phone. My beautiful and amazing wife was calling but my phone was on silent. She was at a hair appointment and I was surprised it was already over. I swiped to answer and simultaneously noticed she had tried to call me 5 previous times within the last minute. What I heard on the other end, I never want hear again... ever. She was crying hysterically, screaming "Come, Help ME! He cut my hair! He cut my hair! Call 911!" Immediately, I was grabbing my keys and running to my truck. "I'm coming honey, I'm on my way!," I exclaimed. I hung up and started dialing 911.
.............................
My wife's hair was 32inches from the top of her head to her butt. It would be what a hair stylist would call "Extra-Long". We have recently moved to Temecula, so she was visiting a new stylist; one she had scoped out. He had good reviews, good prices, and had many photos of hair colored the way she was looking for- dark brown base with blonde streaks. She has had it this way as long as I've known her. She doesn't do much for herself, so when she gets her hair colored every 4 months, it is a big deal.
She met with the stylist for a consultation, and he said he could and would provide the service she was looking for, and that she would be very happy with the outcome. So, on the day of the appointment she sat in his chair for 2 hours as he performed his hair services, chatting about things as most would during a hair appointment. They spoke of family, Faith, and the community. He mentioned that he had been in business for 40 years, and that he has had 5 previous shops. She was undoubtedly excited about how her hair was going to turn out.
When the color treatment was over, he began to wash her out in his sink. He told her that he had never had someone in his chair with hair as long as hers and asked her if she wanted a cut. She quickly said no, as she hardly ever cuts it. So, they moved back to the chair and he pulled out the mirror. She saw the color was absolutely not what she wanted. Her hair was very dark, with blue/gray streaks all throughout. She told him, "this isn't good, this isn't what I wanted." She asked if would re-do it. He was reluctant and responded with hostility. He started grabbing at her and taking a hot straight iron to her hair. "You'll see, you'll see," he expressed. She said "no, please re-do it." Angerly and still grabbing at her, he said "You want me to re-do it, pay me $500, Zelle, now!" Even though the initial visit was going to be $160, and $500 is way more than she would ever pay normally, at this point she would pay anything not to leave the salon in this fashion. She said "fine, do whatever you need to do." Before she could pay him, however, she became scared.
He was standing over her, aggressive and tense, and in her close proximity. "It will be fine, you'll see," he continued. She needed to escape, so she stood up and just like that, he grabbed his scissors, reached and cut at her hair. She looked down and saw a lot of her hair on the ground. "WHY did you do that!?!," she screamed. "I smelled trouble," he said. She gathered her things and ran for the door and fell to the sidewalk outside his shop, crying and screaming hysterically. The man followed her, untied and pulled his apron off of her. At some point, he told her "you don't like it, sue me!" and ran back in and locked his shop doors.
She called me at this moment, and I drove as fast as I could around the corner to the shopping center. I was speaking to 911 dispatchers and explaining that the stylist had just assaulted her and she was in dire need of help. I found her on the ground, absolutely distraught. This beautiful woman did not deserve this. I held her as she cried. I looked up and saw this man in his shop, taking pictures or recording video with his cell phone through the glass walls. My wife asked me where the police were, so I tried to call again. The dispatcher said they were on their way and be patient. I went to the window to yell at the man. We were 2 feet from each other, separated by glass. Since he had locked his doors, I couldn't go in. So, I was telling him "come out, the police are coming and are going to want to talk to you!" But he wouldn't come out. Lucky for him because I would have gladly opened up a can for messing with my wife. I said "why did you do this?" and he said, "because she wouldn't pay!" I pulled out my wallet and said "you want money? you would hurt a woman, for money? you are evil and have evil in your heart." He could obviously care less as I watched him sweep my wife's hair from under his chair, bag it up, and walk out the back door of his shop.
Riverside County Sheriff's Deputies arrived and assisted my wife. They took a statement from her and were kind and professional the whole time. They took photos of the damages. This man had cut over 12 inches of her hair off! They explained that even if he thought she was leaving without paying, he couldn't legally cut her hair like that. They left us with a card and a case number and explained that we could call the DA's office in about a week to see how the charges were going. And then they left.
...............................
And here we are. My beautiful, lovely and amazing wife is so distraught. It's been 4 days. She's waking up crying. She's sad and feels the pain from the trauma all day. She's emotionally devastated. We each missed work the following day as she saw another hair stylist to fix what could be fixed. But she doesn't feel okay. She's reached out for therapy. We've called lawyers for legal consultation and have learned that we can seek criminal action against him, which we've already started by pressing charges. We've learned that we can civilly sue him, but every personal injury lawyer we've talked to has said this is unique and not worth it for them to take on. They all say the same thing, that there is a lawyer out there that will, but that they don't have the bandwidth for something like this. They all tell us that we can, at last resort, take him and his business to small claims court. Which may likely be what we do.
I filed a complaint on the CA State Board of Cosmetology and Barbering explaining everything mentioned here. Hopefully, that at least helps to not renew his license.
But, retribution is necessary here. Someway, somehow. I want to see my wife feel whole again. This woman is an angel. She cares for disabled adults and hardly does anything nice for herself. She is her children's whole world and mine too. She deserves retribution for this pain inflicted by this monster.
Any advice on what we should do? Has anyone ever gone through something similar?

Demographics

Gender: Male
Race/Ethnicity: International
Residence: Asia
Income Bracket: Didn't request aid
Type of School: Private
Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): None

Intended Major(s): (write here)
Academics

GPA (UW/W): No GPA by school policy, but unofficial GPA was 6.94/7
- All A+ student except in freshman year
Rank (or percentile): top 5% of 80 people
# of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.:
- IB HL: Econ, Math AI, English L&L
- IB SL: Chemistry, Business, Spanish
Senior Year Course Load:
- Same as above

Standardized Testing
List the highest scores earned and all scores that were reported.

SAT I: 1570 (770RW, 800M)
AP/IB: predicted 45/45
TOEFL: 119

Extracurriculars/Activities
List all extracurricular involvements, including leadership roles, time commitments, major achievements, etc.

Investment Competition Founder - Created never-before-seen opportunities for 400+ students, cooperating with 9 schools and leading a team of 25. Donated $1.1K to fin lit NGOs
School Economics Club Founder - Discussed with 23 members economic theory & policy, issued economic news to the school (1000+ views/week), arranged field visits to securities firms
Youth national assembly member - Drafted amendments to the Economic Education Support Act; provided policy counsel for teen gambling problem, reviewed by the ruling party of my country
City volunteediplomat - 100+ translations of local restaurant menus, translator at city council hearings & served as city tour guide; worked to close gaps in our community.
Varsity Tennis - Engaged in after-school practices & competed in interscholastic matches. Motivated and fostered teamwork among players.
MUN Club president - Taught 15 members necessary MUN skills in bi-weekly meetings, discussed global issues through mock conferences, organized foreign MUN opportunities.
MUN Sec-Gec - Choreographed the conference; responsible for financials, public relations, and social media management. 5.5K views, 180 delegates participated.
Intern at fin-lit startup - Created content for social media, provided feedback to [startup name]'s services; developed & led a free book club for students interested in entrepreneurship.
Intern at educational startup - Developed personal finance curriculum; held weekly lessons for students. Submitted a 10-page report suggesting potential educational products.
Student Artist - Created a blind contour self-portrait and abstract photography, focusing on self-identity and the environment. Received Gold Key & Honorable mention from Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Awards/Honors
List all awards and honors submitted on your application.

Chairman's Commendation Award from my country's top governmental finance organization
FedEx/JA International Trade Competition Global Finalist
Committee Chairman Award from my country's national assembly
City mayoral award (from city-sponsored MUN best delegate award)
Research award (research in economics)

Letters of Recommendation
No way of knowing, but I know for a fact at least one of the letters has to be amazing (great relationship, favorite-student kind of thing)
Interviews
UPenn - 9/10, was great, connected well, and overall she seemed very impressed & thought I was a great fit
Princeton - 6/10, interviewer asked me some tough questions about politics and asked me to clarify something I spoke about before
Duke - 8/10, pretty good, we joked with each other and he seemed to be interested in what I was saying.

Essays
- My common app essay received good remarks in general, and tbh I still like it. With the application cycle over, I wonder if this was only me and my essay needed large improvements.
- Supps were generally okay, I was pretty proud with my Princeton supps. Penn supps when I re-read them could have been bit better (first time writing them on early round).

Decisions (indicate ED/EA/REA/SCEA/RD)
I applied to all colleges as a econ/pre-econ major.
Acceptances:

UCLA
Carnegie Mellon University
Boston College
Wisconsin-Madison

Waitlists:

Princeton
UMich (EA Deferred Waitlisted)
Northwestern
Vanderbilt
UC Berkeley
WashU
Rice
UC Santa Barbara

Rejections:

UPenn (ED Deferred Rejected)
Duke
Cornell

Additional Information:
I'm happy that I got into UCLA but at the same time I can't help but feel a little disappointed that I couldn't get into any other reaches. I'm of course going to wait for the waitlists but honestly not expecting much. Any comments on what might have been some weaknesses on my application would be greatly appreciated.

Please don’t dox me <3 if we have beef just let it slide man
Demographics
Gender: Female
Race/Ethnicity: East Asian
Residence: Northeast USA
Income Bracket: <30k, family of two
Type of School: Public feeder
Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): None
Intended Major(s): Psych & phil
Academics GPA (UW/W): 3.89 UW (3.95 UW before midyear report)
Rank (or percentile): Unknown
Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: 6 courses a year, all honors except 1 AP sophomore year, 3 APs junior year, 4 APs senior year. Also self studied AP Psych in junior year, and one of my senior APs was two AP classes combined into one
Senior Year Course Load: AP Econ, APCSA, AP Lit, AP Calc BC, African American Studies, Physics 1
Standardized Testing SAT I: 1560 (780RW, 780M)
AP: AP Psych (5), AP World (5), AP Bio (4) — unreported, APUSH (3) and AP Chinese (2) lol
Extracurriculars/Activities
Keeping these vague idek why. It’s painfully obvious who I am if you know me.. Not in order listed on CA I’m lazy

Tutoring EC (501c3, leadership, actually unique org with large membership)
Tutoring EC (organized statewide tutoring stuff)
Tutoring EC (inner city kids)
Tutoring EC (helped my old middle school’s students with HS admissions successfully)
Peer tutoring at school
Music (principal of my section in rather prestigious youth orchestra, lots of volunteering with music, etc)
Working at parent’s business unpaid
School volunteering, specifically chosen by admin member
School club (vice pres)
Culture club at school (founder)

Awards/Honors

National Merit Semifinalist
National Latin Exam, Maxima Cum Laude
State Music Festival, Gold with Honor

Letters of Recommendation
Math teacher and English teacher wrote my LORs. I feel that I was quite close to both of them—once, my math teacher saw me commuting to school in the rain and gave me a ride (it was not creepy). We discussed both math and general life things outside of class extensively, and I definitely performed highly well in her class. My English teacher and I also interacted outside of class both about literature and about what kind of action could be taken to improve the mental health resources at our school—this was an issue that was very important to both of us. He actually spent an entire hour during his office hours discussing this with me and I think he viewed me as a mature and responsible student. I also performed well in his class.
Estimated math teacher LOR rating: 8/10, not confident in her writing abilities anymore Estimated English teacher LOR rating: 8/10
Interviews
Princeton: pretty bad, I think the interviewer viewed me as a mediocre and commonplace student and kinda just shot question after question at me; didn’t feel like a conversation. Dartmouth: this was my best interview, I felt like I connected with my interviewer and was able to have a full-fledged discussion about myself and about Dartmouth. Harvard: my interviewer was an alum of my hs and had a career in the field I was planning to go into, so we were able to connect based on that, but otherwise was very mid and I think I came off as being just average. Stanford: nothing special, had a nice conversation with a kind interviewer.
Essays
My original PS sent to Harvard, Vanderbilt, BU, and UMass was absolute ass. Absolute dumpster fire.
My final PS was of much better quality and flow, but wasn’t especially emotionally evocative or powerful. My topic involved how I grew up in an affluent household before a seriously financially devastating event lost my family all of our life savings and I started attending a very underfunded and poor school. This explanation was about 1/3 of my essay, and the rest of it was how I became inspired to become a schoolteacher and how this was where I found my joy and hope for the future.
My “Why Major” essays were about my interest in psychology and philosophy and how having deep knowledge in these subjects would help me be an outstanding teacher, especially in primary education.
Decisions
Acceptances:
Wellesley College (RD)
UMass Amherst (EA)
University of Tulsa (EA) (guaranteed acceptance)
Waitlists:
Bowdoin College (RD)
Rejections:
Columbia University (RD)
Princeton University (RD)
Barnard College (RD)
Brown University (RD)
Rice University (RD)
Stanford University (RD)
Harvard University (RD) (deferred REA)
Amherst College (RD)
Yale University (RD)
Dartmouth University (RD)
Washington University in St. Louis (RD)
Vanderbilt University (RD)
Emory University (RD)
Cornell University (RD)
Boston University (RD)
Additional Information:
I’m an intl based in the USA because I’ve lived here since I was six years old but still don’t have a green card or anything. All of my schools except Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Amherst, and Bowdoin considered me international, at least for financial aid purposes. BU had me submit a verification of finances form because I’m intl and they offer no need-based aid to intls but I didn’t submit it and took the L based on my lack of research. NEU did the same and specifically said my application would not be complete if I didn't, which is why I withdrew and took the L again. Do your research guys, especially my fellow intls living in the US! Eternally grateful to Wellesley and my full ride offer. Really came in clutch and I’m so excited to attend!
But at the end of the day, almost none of these ECs felt true to me, and neither did the personal statement. It was all one big strategy to make me stand out from other applicants with a niche and definitive spike, but I felt miserable throughout high school because I was pursuing a strategy-based life instead of exploring my own interests and passions. And now I don’t have the slightest idea what I’d like to study in college, despite having had more than enough resources at my high school to at least get a sense. I feel as though my high school life has been wasted on extracurricular activities that I didn’t enjoy that won’t even make a lasting, permanent impact on my community after all, no matter how I worded it on my college applications.
Please just do what you love and enjoy, instead of listening to external influences about what would be the best strategy. My biggest regret is not sinking into my interests sooner, and even pretending that they weren’t there, to help me cope with what I was doing. I don’t even think this teacher spike was appealing anyways… Still grateful to Wellesley and love the school ❤️

Machine Learning

Machine Learning is a field of inquiry devoted to understanding and building methods that "learn" – that is, methods that leverage data to improve performance on some set of tasks.

Data Mining

Data mining is the process of extracting and discovering patterns in large data sets involving methods at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and database systems.

Copyright

A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time.

Fair Use

Fair use is a doctrine in United States law that permits limited use of copyrighted material without having to first acquire permission from the copyright holder. Each case of fair use uniquely evaluates the following factors
1.the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2.the nature of the copyrighted work;
3.the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and4.

the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Data Mining / Machine Learning vs Fair Use

Some believe the extraction of data patterns from copyrighted art will be defensible by fair use given it's transformative and novel nature of it's outputs, others disagree.

The Story So Far

CommonCrawl is a research community effort that scrapes the web in a similar manner as Google-Bot or Bing-Bot. It periodically crawls the web, scrapes domains where it is permitted by a 'robots.txt' file and saves webdata into an archival format.
The largest image dataset, LAION-5B, a list of 5 billion urls, was created by parsing the CommonCrawl project. The image urls link to a large number of copyrighted materials. No one has bothered to quantify the amount of copyrighted materials within this dataset.
LAION5B is just a list of URLs, when images are downloaded a copy is made. Whether or not it's permissible to use this copy for Machine Learning under Fair Use is to be determined. No one yet knows the answer to this question.
StabilityAI (and likely Midjourney as well) downloaded images using the LAION5B dataset and used the images to perform data mining and create their softwares with machine learning techniques.
Beyond the raw set of scraping all 5B images, SD performed watermark filtering, punsafe filtering, and aesthetic filtering. To get a sense of that you have to read through the modelcard files:
https://huggingface.co/runwayml/stable-diffusion-v1-5
https://huggingface.co/stabilityai/stable-diffusion-2

Where to Learn More

https://commoncrawl.org/
https://laion.ai/blog/laion-5b/

About scraping
https://moz.com/learn/seo/robotstxt
https://www.termsfeed.com/blog/web-scraping-laws/

Many platforms were scraped in the creation of LAION. This happened often where the website's Terms of Use directly state that web scraping is a violation, however there is ambiguity for some reason unclear to me. There is a belief that law abiding robots only need to respect robots.txt (as well as captchas and the like that demand a human user). Additionally, the code used to parse the images only checks for robots in the hosting domain and not urls that are deeplinked from one site to another site.

What's in LAION anyways?

http://laion-aesthetic.datasette.io/ -- a SQL search engine of the top 12 million ranked images
https://haveibeentrained.com/ -- a CLIP embedding (image recognition based) based search of all 5b images
https://rom1504.github.io/clip-retrieval/ -- LAION's CLIP embedding search

Google Sheets with domain count tallies

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1satoVvrf-qJaaFeSdhfwSDOP-OkELbNzPBfwJjDdufU/edit?usp=share_link
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UWEOe8cO6RPHZyZfQl7NihFjIOpz5la3kOkGs5yh3LA/edit?usp=share_link
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nPnt3jAGtAzqk-Xg7pYsatNMeGdttmLGivTkWkehQ4M/edit?usp=share_link

GPDR Requests

LAION is required to respond to GPDR requests - the page is here https://laion.ai/privacy-policy/ However they made SAMPLE_ID required, which means one would have to pull all of LAION and find the offending entries. If you are motivated I suggest to do so, but it's not without effort. Maybe someone will provide a better method of search in the future.

That's Pretty Much It

If you want to be active in this space, there's not much to be gained from arguing with defendants or proponents. Use the conversations to sharpen your thoughts. More importantly, do something. Contribute to researching the dataset black box, find something more to add to the story, file a lawsuit, talk to government, talk to your community, get active.
If you like ML, you think all of this is fine, and you can find yourself in the dataset you can Opt-In at https://haveibeentrained.com/ . Maybe even consider releasing your work as CC0.
If you don't like ML, your work is in the dataset, consider looking into legal action or use Opt-Out on https://haveibeentrained.com/. (GPDR via LAION may also be a method in specific cases.)
You can try using Glaze to protect your work, but there is still much debate to it's efficacy and ease of removal. https://glaze.cs.uchicago.edu/ You could also try just watermarking the shit out of it.

But What about all the Technical Training Stuff?

Does it really matter that diffusion models work a particular way? That images aren't stored only analyzed?
Regardless of technique the following statement will hold true: "Some believe the extraction of data patterns from copyrighted art will be defensible by fair use given it's transformative and novel nature, others disagree."
Splitting hairs on "learning" and how training works won't really resolve anything, just help you broaden your understanding of the process. The underlying issues of whether you believe public scraping protected works for ML training will remain regardless of the technique employed.

There is a trove of evidence that the Palestinian movement has utilized disinformation and propaganda to manipulate the international community. According to the US State Department's report from 2019, Hamas has been engaging in a systematic campaign of misinformation and propaganda to manipulate public opinion. The report outlines how Hamas has been using various channels, including social media, to spread false information and incitement against Israel. Hamas is accused of disseminating conspiracy theories and false accusations of Israeli aggression, and of glorifying terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. Hamas has been known to use fake social media accounts and bots to amplify their messaging and make it appear as though there is more support for their cause than there actually is. The report also notes that Hamas has used its own media outlets to spread false information and incitement, including running news stories that are factually inaccurate and using graphic images to provoke an emotional response from viewers. The report also highlights the use of Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, to disseminate propaganda and engage in violence against Israel. The Al-Qassam Brigades have been known to produce videos and social media content that glorify violence and depict Israel as an aggressor, often using graphic and disturbing imagery to shock and provoke viewers. The report states that Hamas has been actively manipulating the narrative around the conflict to further their political goals, and to gain support from the international community. It further states that Hamas has been using propaganda to portray themselves as a legitimate resistance movement, while demonizing Israel as an aggressor and human rights violator. In addition to their social media campaigns, Hamas has also been accused of using other channels to spread their propaganda, including mosques, schools, and community centers. The report emphasizes the need for the international community to be aware of Hamas's propaganda tactics, and to take steps to counteract their efforts to manipulate public opinion.
The report also notes that Hamas has been using propaganda to maintain control over the population in Gaza. By disseminating false information and inciting anti-Israeli sentiment, Hamas has been able to maintain a tight grip on power, and to suppress dissent and opposition to their rule. The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) is an independent research institute that analyzes textbooks used in various countries to identify any extremist or intolerant content. In a report published in 2020, IMPACT-se found that Palestinian textbooks used in schools contain anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli content, including falsehoods and incitement to violence. The report analyzed textbooks used in Palestinian Authority schools, as well as those used in UNRWA-run schools, which serve Palestinian refugees in the region. The analysis found that the textbooks depicted the conflict with Israel as a religious war, rather than a political conflict. The textbooks also contained many passages that glorified violence against Israelis, including references to suicide bombers as "martyrs" and "heroes." The report also found that the textbooks included anti-Semitic content, including references to Jews as "enemies of Islam and the Palestinians''. Furthermore, the report found that the textbooks promoted intolerance and prejudice against other groups, including women, minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community. They contained passages that reinforced gender stereotypes and discriminated against minority groups, such as the Christian minority in the region. The use of such textbooks in schools has raised concerns, and many argue that they promote a culture of hate and intolerance, and hinder efforts towards peace between Israelis and Palestinians
US intelligence agencies have also documented instances of Palestinian groups using propaganda and misinformation to further their goals. A U.S Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report from 2019, titled "Israel: Countering the Threat of Terrorism," describes how the Palestinian Authority (PA) has employed a strategy of "internationalizing" the conflict with Israel. According to the report, this strategy involves using disinformation and propaganda to influence foreign governments and organizations, as well as international public opinion, in favor of the Palestinian cause. The report notes that the PA has made efforts to portray Israel as an aggressor and human rights violator, and has sought to gain international support through this. The PA has also attempted to delegitimize Israel and its policies. To achieve these goals, the PA has used a variety of tactics, including media campaigns, lobbying efforts, and participation in international forums such as the United Nations. It’s widely known that during the 2014 Gaza War, the Palestinian Authority (PA) used disinformation and propaganda to mislead the public about the nature of the conflict. The PA disseminated a false narrative that Israel was intentionally targeting Palestinian civilians and committing war crimes, which was widely spread through their media campaigns, social media posts, and public statements. The PA also claimed that Israel was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians, when in fact, the vast majority of those killed were militants. This false narrative was spread through various channels, including the United Nations and other international organizations, to garner sympathy and support for the Palestinian cause. Furthermore, the PA staged events to bolster their propaganda, such as the "massacre" at a UN school in Gaza. The PA claimed that Israeli forces had deliberately targeted the school and killed dozens of civilians, including children. However, it was later revealed that the school was being used as a storage site for Hamas rockets and that the majority of those killed were Hamas militants. The use of false narratives, staged events, and propaganda by the PA during the 2014 Gaza War highlights their willingness to manipulate the truth to advance their agenda and gain support from the international community
Media campaigns have been a key tool for the PA in influencing international public opinion. The PA has produced and disseminated videos, social media posts, and other materials that depict Israel in a negative light. These campaigns often focus on specific incidents, such as clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian rioters, or the demolition of terrorists’ family homes. The aim of these campaigns is to generate sympathy for the Palestinian cause and to portray Israel as an oppressive and unjust state. The PA has been known to dramatize events and use false actors in these media campaigns. For example, they have been caught staging scenes of violence and injury during protests to garner sympathy and support from the international community. One example of this occurred during the 2018 Gaza border protests, in which Palestinian rioters clashed with Israeli forces. The PA circulated images and videos of a young Palestinian girl who was allegedly killed by Israeli forces, causing outrage and condemnation from the international community. However, it was later revealed that the girl, named Layla Ghandour, had not been killed by Israeli forces at all, but had instead died of a pre-existing medical condition. Additionally, her family admitted to being paid by the PA to falsely claim that she was killed by Israeli forces. Another example involves a Palestinian girl named Ahed Tamimi who became a symbol of Palestinian resistance after a video of her slapping and kicking an Israeli soldier went viral in 2017. However, it was later revealed that the incident was staged by her family in an effort to gain attention and sympathy from the international community. Tamimi's mother had allegedly instructed her to provoke the soldiers to film the incident and use it for propaganda purposes. The incident received widespread media coverage at the time. Other examples of media manipulation have included the use of actors to simulate injuries during protests, and the use of staged footage to depict Israeli aggression towards Palestinian civilians. One example of the use of actors to simulate injuries during protests occurred in May 2018, during protests along the Gaza-Israel border. The Israeli military released video footage that appeared to show a Palestinian man being shot and wounded during the protests. However, it was later revealed that the man was actually a well-known Palestinian activist who had been paid by the Hamas terror group to stage the incident for media coverage.
Another example of staged footage occurred in 2012, when the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV aired footage of a young boy being carried by his father, purportedly after being wounded in an Israeli air strike. However, it was later revealed that the boy was actually a victim of a domestic gas explosion, and that the footage had been manipulated to make it appear as if he had been injured in an Israeli attack. In another instance, during the 2014 Gaza conflict, a video was widely circulated on social media that appeared to show a young boy being killed by an Israeli drone strike. However, it was later revealed that the video was actually from Syria, and had been filmed two years earlier. The footage had been manipulated to falsely portray an Israeli attack.
Furthermore, lobbying efforts have also been crucial for the PA in influencing foreign governments and organizations. The PA has established relationships with political and civic leaders in a number of countries, and has worked to advance its agenda through these channels. The PA has also hired lobbying firms and public relations firms in the United States and other countries to help promote its message and influence public opinion. There have been serious concerns raised about the ties between these lobbying groups and well-known terrorist organizations. One example is the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an advocacy group on Capitol Hill. According to a report by the Investigative Project on Terrorism, CAIR was founded by members of the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), which was found to have connections to Hamas. In addition, other CAIR officials have been linked to Hamas or expressed support for the group. For example, in 2008, the FBI released documents showing that CAIR was part of a network of organizations and individuals supporting Hamas in the United States. The documents included a memorandum from 1993 in which a Hamas leader in the United States identified CAIR as a member of the Palestine Committee, a group that was established by the Muslim Brotherhood to support Hamas in the United States. In 2007, CAIR's co-founder and former executive director, Nihad Awad, was recorded expressing support for Hamas in a private meeting. The recording was later leaked and widely circulated. These connections have raised concerns about the extent to which CAIR is able to influence US policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the group's broader agenda and tactics.
Another group with ties to terrorism is the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) in the UK. While the PSC claims to operate peacefully and nonviolently, it has been criticized for its ties to terrorist organizations, specifically the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).The PFLP is a Marxist-Leninist organization that was founded in 1967 with the goal of liberating Palestine. The group has been responsible for numerous acts of terrorism against civilians. The PFLP has been designated as a terrorist organization by many countries, including the United States, Canada, and the European Union. In 2018, a member of the PSC's leadership was found to have been a member of the PFLP. Salah Ajarma, who served as the coordinator of the PSC's annual conference, was found to have been a member of the PFLP's military wing. According to reports, Ajarma played a role in planning and coordinating a terrorist attack on a bus in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1994. The attack, which was carried out by the PFLP, killed 22 people and injured dozens more.
Similarly, the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has been criticized for its ties to terrorist organizations. The Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs has identified multiple BDS groups with links to Hamas and the PFLP. One of the groups that the ministry has identified is the BDS National Committee (BNC), which is the main coordinating body for the global BDS campaign. The ministry has accused the BNC of having close ties to Hamas. The Israeli government has provided ample evidence to support its claim that the BNC has ties to Hamas. For instance, the Ministry of Strategic Affairs announce that BNC board member Abdulrahman Abunahel had been a senior official in the Islamic Relief Worldwide charity, which has ties to Hamas. The Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) has connections to the Union of Good and it has provided financial support to organizations affiliated with Hamas through its connections with the organization. The Union of Good is a charity organization that was designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in 2008 for providing financial support to Hamas. It was established in 2000, and is composed of a network of charities and organizations operating in several countries. The U.S. Department of the Treasury stated that the Union of Good was established by Hamas leaders to support the organization's activities and that it had provided millions of dollars in funding to Hamas-affiliated organizations in the Gaza Strip. The evidence cited by the U.S. government to support its designation of the Union of Good as a terrorist organization includes financial transactions and communications between members of the organization and Hamas leaders, as well as public statements and actions by the organization and its leaders. For example, the U.S. Treasury Department cited a 2002 press release from the Union of Good that expressed support for Hamas and its activities. The Treasury Department also pointed to financial transactions between the Union of Good and organizations that were directly affiliated with Hamas, as well as communications between members of the organization and Hamas leaders. Additionally, the U.S. government cited the Union of Good's connection to Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a prominent Hamas supporter who has been banned from entering the U.S. due to his support for terrorism. Al-Qaradawi served as the chairman of the Union of Good's board of trustees. Furthermore, Israeli government has provided several examples of individuals and organizations associated with the BDS movement that it claims have been involved in fundraising for Hamas and other terrorist groups. One such example is the case of Muhammad El-Halabi, a World Vision employee who was accused of diverting millions of dollars of aid money to Hamas. The Israeli government claimed that El-Halabi used his position at World Vision to funnel funds to Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, which he identified as the intended beneficiaries of various aid projects. The Israeli government has also pointed to the case of the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), a Palestinian NGO that has been linked to the BDS movement. In 2019, the UAWC was designated as a terrorist organization due to the allegations that it was a front for the PFLP and that it had been involved in the planning of terrorist attacks against Israeli targets. The Israeli government provided several pieces of evidence to support its allegations against the UAWC. One of the key pieces of evidence was the fact that several UAWC employees had been arrested and charged with terrorist offenses in recent years. In 2019, for example, the Israeli military arrested and charged UAWC employee Rami Ayad with being a member of the PFLP and with involvement in planning terrorist attacks against Israeli targets. In addition to the arrests of UAWC employees, the Israeli government pointed to the organization's further ties to the PFLP. They claimed that the UAWC was founded by members of the PFLP and that it had maintained close ties to the organization ever since. The Israeli government also alleged that the UAWC had provided financial support to the families of PFLP terrorists and had facilitated the transfer of funds to PFLP operatives in the Gaza Strip. The government claimed that the UAWC used funds provided by international donors, including the European Union and the United Nations, to support terrorist activities. According to Israeli officials, the UAWC had used some of the funds to build military installations for the PFLP, which included training camps and weapons storage facilities. The UAWC was also accused of providing financial assistance to the families of PFLP operatives who had been killed or imprisoned by Israeli authorities. They provided evidence of financial transactions between the UAWC and known PFLP operatives, including payments made to individuals who had been involved in carrying out attacks against Israeli targets. The Israeli government has claimed that the BDS movement as a whole is involved in supporting terrorist organizations. There have been several reports of BDS activists attending meetings with representatives of Hamas and the PFLP. For example, in 2016, it was reported that two BDS activists, Ahmed Moor and Kristian Davis Bailey, had participated in a meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during a visit to the Gaza Strip. In 2017, a delegation of BDS activists, including Omar Barghouti, reportedly met with PFLP officials in the West Bank. The Israeli government has also pointed to examples of BDS activism that it claims promotes violence against Israel and its citizens. For instance, in 2014, during the Gaza War, BDS activists in South Africa reportedly chanted slogans such as "shoot the Jew" and "kill the Jew" at a protest rally. Similarly, in 2015, a BDS activist in France was recorded on video shouting "Death to Israel" at a pro-Palestinian rally in Paris. The Israeli government has also accused BDS activists of supporting the use of violence against Israeli civilians, citing examples such as a BDS campaign that urged Palestinians to carry out stabbing attacks against Israelis.
There have been additional concerns about how Palestinian lobbying groups use their influence to whitewash or downplay terrorist activities carried out by Palestinian groups. These groups aim to gain support for their cause and present a positive image of themselves to the international community. One example of this is the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), which is based in the UK and has been accused of having ties to Hamas. The PRC has organized events and conferences in Europe that have been criticized for promoting anti-Semitic and pro-terrorist rhetoric. In 2010, the PRC was banned from holding an event in the British Parliament after concerns were raised about the organization's links to Hamas. Another example is the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), which has been accused of having connections to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). One of the co-founders of the USCPR, Hatem Abudayyeh, has been investigated for his alleged ties to the PFLP. In 2010, the FBI raided his home and the offices of a Chicago-based organization he was affiliated with called the Arab American Action Network. The FBI alleged that Abudayyeh and his organization had provided material support to the PFLP, including financial assistance and communication equipment. In addition to Abudayyeh, other members of the USCPR have been linked to the PFLP. For example, the group's former board member, Rasmieh Odeh, was convicted in Israel for her involvement in a 1969 bombing that killed two Israeli students. She was later deported from the United States for lying on her immigration application about her involvement in the attack. The USCPR has been involved in organizing events and protests in the US that have been criticized for glorifying violence and promoting anti-Semitic rhetoric. The allegations against the USCPR not only stem from its alleged connections to a number of PFLP members and sympathizers, but from the organization's public statements and actions. For example, In 2017, the USCPR reportedly held a fundraiser for the Palestinian Prisoners' Committee, a group that has been linked to the PFLP. The event was attended by several individuals who were believed to have ties to the PFLP, including Leila Khaled, a well-known PFLP member who was involved in several hijackings in the 1960s and 1970s. The USCPR has also been criticized for its involvement in organizing the "Great March of Return" protests in Gaza in 2018. These protests, which were organized by Hamas and other militant groups, were characterized by violence and resulted in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians and injuries to thousands more. The USCPR has been accused of supporting these protests and of promoting anti-Semitic rhetoric in connection with them. In addition to these specific examples, the USCPR has been accused of promoting a broader agenda that is supportive of terrorist groups and their activities. Critics have pointed to the organization's support for the BDS movement, which has been linked to terrorist groups such as Hamas and the PFLP, as evidence of this agenda. The USCPR has also been accused of promoting a "one-state solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would effectively eliminate Israel as a Jewish state, which many Israelis see as a threat to their existence.
Another advocacy group, the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) is a London-based organization that claims to advocate for the rights of Palestinian refugees. However, there have been concerns raised about its connections to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. According to a report by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, the PRC has a history of promoting and glorifying terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups. In addition, in 2010, Israel banned the PRC for its alleged ties to Hamas. The Israeli government stated that the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) is a front for Hamas, and that its members have attended Hamas training camps in Gaza. The Israeli government has provided evidence of links between the two groups, including financial and logistical support provided by Hamas to the PRC. In 2006, Israeli forces arrested Jamal Abu Samhadana, the leader of the PRC, and accused him of being a senior Hamas operative. Israeli officials claimed that Abu Samhadana had received funding and training from Hamas, and had been involved in planning attacks against Israeli targets. The Israeli government has also cited the PRC's involvement in launching rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel as evidence of its links to Hamas. In 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, the Israeli military targeted PRC members who were involved in firing rockets into Israel. The group has been responsible for numerous attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, including suicide bombings and shootings. The PRC has been involved in lobbying efforts in the UK, and has been accused of using its platform to promote anti-Semitic views and extremist ideologies. In 2019, the PRC was stripped of its UN accreditation after concerns were raised about its links to Hamas.
If all of this evidence is out there, why are people still being fooled? These people do not want peace… they want war… until Israel is gone.

Ok everyone, today is the day. We had Furry Friends Friday, we had Salty Saturday. Now is the day to confess what YOU did wrong, this week, last week, last month, last year, whenever. This is the thread to purge YOURSELF. Confess your sins, your mess ups, your low down dirty behavior to Long Name. This community is anonymous, and we cannot absolve you from your sins- nor can we assign any hail Marys- but we will listen, judgement free, with an open heart and an open mind. The Sunday Confessional is not the place to attack others or shame others for what they choose to share. This is the thread to get things off your chest- the good, the bad, and the ugly. We all have a tendency to get a little messy at times, and you don't have to agree with someone's actions to be able to achieve the intended goal of this topic. So! Do something dirty to a coworker? Stick your significant other's toothbrush up your a-hole? Did you keep the extra change you mistakenly got back from the store? Throw trash into someone else's dumpster? Or did you just jay walk? Don't hold back. We.Are.Ready!

There is a trove of evidence that the Palestinian movement has utilized disinformation and propaganda to manipulate the international community. According to the US State Department's report from 2019, Hamas has been engaging in a systematic campaign of misinformation and propaganda to manipulate public opinion. The report outlines how Hamas has been using various channels, including social media, to spread false information and incitement against Israel. Hamas is accused of disseminating conspiracy theories and false accusations of Israeli aggression, and of glorifying terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. Hamas has been known to use fake social media accounts and bots to amplify their messaging and make it appear as though there is more support for their cause than there actually is. The report also notes that Hamas has used its own media outlets to spread false information and incitement, including running news stories that are factually inaccurate and using graphic images to provoke an emotional response from viewers. The report also highlights the use of Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, to disseminate propaganda and engage in violence against Israel. The Al-Qassam Brigades have been known to produce videos and social media content that glorify violence and depict Israel as an aggressor, often using graphic and disturbing imagery to shock and provoke viewers. The report states that Hamas has been actively manipulating the narrative around the conflict to further their political goals, and to gain support from the international community. It further states that Hamas has been using propaganda to portray themselves as a legitimate resistance movement, while demonizing Israel as an aggressor and human rights violator. In addition to their social media campaigns, Hamas has also been accused of using other channels to spread their propaganda, including mosques, schools, and community centers. The report emphasizes the need for the international community to be aware of Hamas's propaganda tactics, and to take steps to counteract their efforts to manipulate public opinion.
The report also notes that Hamas has been using propaganda to maintain control over the population in Gaza. By disseminating false information and inciting anti-Israeli sentiment, Hamas has been able to maintain a tight grip on power, and to suppress dissent and opposition to their rule. The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) is an independent research institute that analyzes textbooks used in various countries to identify any extremist or intolerant content. In a report published in 2020, IMPACT-se found that Palestinian textbooks used in schools contain anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli content, including falsehoods and incitement to violence. The report analyzed textbooks used in Palestinian Authority schools, as well as those used in UNRWA-run schools, which serve Palestinian refugees in the region. The analysis found that the textbooks depicted the conflict with Israel as a religious war, rather than a political conflict. The textbooks also contained many passages that glorified violence against Israelis, including references to suicide bombers as "martyrs" and "heroes." The report also found that the textbooks included anti-Semitic content, including references to Jews as "enemies of Islam and the Palestinians''. Furthermore, the report found that the textbooks promoted intolerance and prejudice against other groups, including women, minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community. They contained passages that reinforced gender stereotypes and discriminated against minority groups, such as the Christian minority in the region. The use of such textbooks in schools has raised concerns, and many argue that they promote a culture of hate and intolerance, and hinder efforts towards peace between Israelis and Palestinians
US intelligence agencies have also documented instances of Palestinian groups using propaganda and misinformation to further their goals. A U.S Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report from 2019, titled "Israel: Countering the Threat of Terrorism," describes how the Palestinian Authority (PA) has employed a strategy of "internationalizing" the conflict with Israel. According to the report, this strategy involves using disinformation and propaganda to influence foreign governments and organizations, as well as international public opinion, in favor of the Palestinian cause. The report notes that the PA has made efforts to portray Israel as an aggressor and human rights violator, and has sought to gain international support through this. The PA has also attempted to delegitimize Israel and its policies. To achieve these goals, the PA has used a variety of tactics, including media campaigns, lobbying efforts, and participation in international forums such as the United Nations. It’s widely known that during the 2014 Gaza War, the Palestinian Authority (PA) used disinformation and propaganda to mislead the public about the nature of the conflict. The PA disseminated a false narrative that Israel was intentionally targeting Palestinian civilians and committing war crimes, which was widely spread through their media campaigns, social media posts, and public statements. The PA also claimed that Israel was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians, when in fact, the vast majority of those killed were militants. This false narrative was spread through various channels, including the United Nations and other international organizations, to garner sympathy and support for the Palestinian cause. Furthermore, the PA staged events to bolster their propaganda, such as the "massacre" at a UN school in Gaza. The PA claimed that Israeli forces had deliberately targeted the school and killed dozens of civilians, including children. However, it was later revealed that the school was being used as a storage site for Hamas rockets and that the majority of those killed were Hamas militants. The use of false narratives, staged events, and propaganda by the PA during the 2014 Gaza War highlights their willingness to manipulate the truth to advance their agenda and gain support from the international community
Media campaigns have been a key tool for the PA in influencing international public opinion. The PA has produced and disseminated videos, social media posts, and other materials that depict Israel in a negative light. These campaigns often focus on specific incidents, such as clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian rioters, or the demolition of terrorists’ family homes. The aim of these campaigns is to generate sympathy for the Palestinian cause and to portray Israel as an oppressive and unjust state. The PA has been known to dramatize events and use false actors in these media campaigns. For example, they have been caught staging scenes of violence and injury during protests to garner sympathy and support from the international community. One example of this occurred during the 2018 Gaza border protests, in which Palestinian rioters clashed with Israeli forces. The PA circulated images and videos of a young Palestinian girl who was allegedly killed by Israeli forces, causing outrage and condemnation from the international community. However, it was later revealed that the girl, named Layla Ghandour, had not been killed by Israeli forces at all, but had instead died of a pre-existing medical condition. Additionally, her family admitted to being paid by the PA to falsely claim that she was killed by Israeli forces. Another example involves a Palestinian girl named Ahed Tamimi who became a symbol of Palestinian resistance after a video of her slapping and kicking an Israeli soldier went viral in 2017. However, it was later revealed that the incident was staged by her family in an effort to gain attention and sympathy from the international community. Tamimi's mother had allegedly instructed her to provoke the soldiers to film the incident and use it for propaganda purposes. The incident received widespread media coverage at the time. Other examples of media manipulation have included the use of actors to simulate injuries during protests, and the use of staged footage to depict Israeli aggression towards Palestinian civilians. One example of the use of actors to simulate injuries during protests occurred in May 2018, during protests along the Gaza-Israel border. The Israeli military released video footage that appeared to show a Palestinian man being shot and wounded during the protests. However, it was later revealed that the man was actually a well-known Palestinian activist who had been paid by the Hamas terror group to stage the incident for media coverage.
Another example of staged footage occurred in 2012, when the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV aired footage of a young boy being carried by his father, purportedly after being wounded in an Israeli air strike. However, it was later revealed that the boy was actually a victim of a domestic gas explosion, and that the footage had been manipulated to make it appear as if he had been injured in an Israeli attack. In another instance, during the 2014 Gaza conflict, a video was widely circulated on social media that appeared to show a young boy being killed by an Israeli drone strike. However, it was later revealed that the video was actually from Syria, and had been filmed two years earlier. The footage had been manipulated to falsely portray an Israeli attack.
Furthermore, lobbying efforts have also been crucial for the PA in influencing foreign governments and organizations. The PA has established relationships with political and civic leaders in a number of countries, and has worked to advance its agenda through these channels. The PA has also hired lobbying firms and public relations firms in the United States and other countries to help promote its message and influence public opinion. There have been serious concerns raised about the ties between these lobbying groups and well-known terrorist organizations. One example is the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an advocacy group on Capitol Hill. According to a report by the Investigative Project on Terrorism, CAIR was founded by members of the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), which was found to have connections to Hamas. In addition, other CAIR officials have been linked to Hamas or expressed support for the group. For example, in 2008, the FBI released documents showing that CAIR was part of a network of organizations and individuals supporting Hamas in the United States. The documents included a memorandum from 1993 in which a Hamas leader in the United States identified CAIR as a member of the Palestine Committee, a group that was established by the Muslim Brotherhood to support Hamas in the United States. In 2007, CAIR's co-founder and former executive director, Nihad Awad, was recorded expressing support for Hamas in a private meeting. The recording was later leaked and widely circulated. These connections have raised concerns about the extent to which CAIR is able to influence US policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the group's broader agenda and tactics.
Another group with ties to terrorism is the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) in the UK. While the PSC claims to operate peacefully and nonviolently, it has been criticized for its ties to terrorist organizations, specifically the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).The PFLP is a Marxist-Leninist organization that was founded in 1967 with the goal of liberating Palestine. The group has been responsible for numerous acts of terrorism against civilians. The PFLP has been designated as a terrorist organization by many countries, including the United States, Canada, and the European Union. In 2018, a member of the PSC's leadership was found to have been a member of the PFLP. Salah Ajarma, who served as the coordinator of the PSC's annual conference, was found to have been a member of the PFLP's military wing. According to reports, Ajarma played a role in planning and coordinating a terrorist attack on a bus in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1994. The attack, which was carried out by the PFLP, killed 22 people and injured dozens more.
Similarly, the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has been criticized for its ties to terrorist organizations. The Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs has identified multiple BDS groups with links to Hamas and the PFLP. One of the groups that the ministry has identified is the BDS National Committee (BNC), which is the main coordinating body for the global BDS campaign. The ministry has accused the BNC of having close ties to Hamas. The Israeli government has provided ample evidence to support its claim that the BNC has ties to Hamas. For instance, the Ministry of Strategic Affairs announce that BNC board member Abdulrahman Abunahel had been a senior official in the Islamic Relief Worldwide charity, which has ties to Hamas. The Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) has connections to the Union of Good and it has provided financial support to organizations affiliated with Hamas through its connections with the organization. The Union of Good is a charity organization that was designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in 2008 for providing financial support to Hamas. It was established in 2000, and is composed of a network of charities and organizations operating in several countries. The U.S. Department of the Treasury stated that the Union of Good was established by Hamas leaders to support the organization's activities and that it had provided millions of dollars in funding to Hamas-affiliated organizations in the Gaza Strip. The evidence cited by the U.S. government to support its designation of the Union of Good as a terrorist organization includes financial transactions and communications between members of the organization and Hamas leaders, as well as public statements and actions by the organization and its leaders. For example, the U.S. Treasury Department cited a 2002 press release from the Union of Good that expressed support for Hamas and its activities. The Treasury Department also pointed to financial transactions between the Union of Good and organizations that were directly affiliated with Hamas, as well as communications between members of the organization and Hamas leaders. Additionally, the U.S. government cited the Union of Good's connection to Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a prominent Hamas supporter who has been banned from entering the U.S. due to his support for terrorism. Al-Qaradawi served as the chairman of the Union of Good's board of trustees. Furthermore, Israeli government has provided several examples of individuals and organizations associated with the BDS movement that it claims have been involved in fundraising for Hamas and other terrorist groups. One such example is the case of Muhammad El-Halabi, a World Vision employee who was accused of diverting millions of dollars of aid money to Hamas. The Israeli government claimed that El-Halabi used his position at World Vision to funnel funds to Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, which he identified as the intended beneficiaries of various aid projects. The Israeli government has also pointed to the case of the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC), a Palestinian NGO that has been linked to the BDS movement. In 2019, the UAWC was designated as a terrorist organization due to the allegations that it was a front for the PFLP and that it had been involved in the planning of terrorist attacks against Israeli targets. The Israeli government provided several pieces of evidence to support its allegations against the UAWC. One of the key pieces of evidence was the fact that several UAWC employees had been arrested and charged with terrorist offenses in recent years. In 2019, for example, the Israeli military arrested and charged UAWC employee Rami Ayad with being a member of the PFLP and with involvement in planning terrorist attacks against Israeli targets. In addition to the arrests of UAWC employees, the Israeli government pointed to the organization's further ties to the PFLP. They claimed that the UAWC was founded by members of the PFLP and that it had maintained close ties to the organization ever since. The Israeli government also alleged that the UAWC had provided financial support to the families of PFLP terrorists and had facilitated the transfer of funds to PFLP operatives in the Gaza Strip. The government claimed that the UAWC used funds provided by international donors, including the European Union and the United Nations, to support terrorist activities. According to Israeli officials, the UAWC had used some of the funds to build military installations for the PFLP, which included training camps and weapons storage facilities. The UAWC was also accused of providing financial assistance to the families of PFLP operatives who had been killed or imprisoned by Israeli authorities. They provided evidence of financial transactions between the UAWC and known PFLP operatives, including payments made to individuals who had been involved in carrying out attacks against Israeli targets. The Israeli government has claimed that the BDS movement as a whole is involved in supporting terrorist organizations. There have been several reports of BDS activists attending meetings with representatives of Hamas and the PFLP. For example, in 2016, it was reported that two BDS activists, Ahmed Moor and Kristian Davis Bailey, had participated in a meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during a visit to the Gaza Strip. In 2017, a delegation of BDS activists, including Omar Barghouti, reportedly met with PFLP officials in the West Bank. The Israeli government has also pointed to examples of BDS activism that it claims promotes violence against Israel and its citizens. For instance, in 2014, during the Gaza War, BDS activists in South Africa reportedly chanted slogans such as "shoot the Jew" and "kill the Jew" at a protest rally. Similarly, in 2015, a BDS activist in France was recorded on video shouting "Death to Israel" at a pro-Palestinian rally in Paris. The Israeli government has also accused BDS activists of supporting the use of violence against Israeli civilians, citing examples such as a BDS campaign that urged Palestinians to carry out stabbing attacks against Israelis.
There have been additional concerns about how Palestinian lobbying groups use their influence to whitewash or downplay terrorist activities carried out by Palestinian groups. These groups aim to gain support for their cause and present a positive image of themselves to the international community. One example of this is the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), which is based in the UK and has been accused of having ties to Hamas. The PRC has organized events and conferences in Europe that have been criticized for promoting anti-Semitic and pro-terrorist rhetoric. In 2010, the PRC was banned from holding an event in the British Parliament after concerns were raised about the organization's links to Hamas. Another example is the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), which has been accused of having connections to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). One of the co-founders of the USCPR, Hatem Abudayyeh, has been investigated for his alleged ties to the PFLP. In 2010, the FBI raided his home and the offices of a Chicago-based organization he was affiliated with called the Arab American Action Network. The FBI alleged that Abudayyeh and his organization had provided material support to the PFLP, including financial assistance and communication equipment. In addition to Abudayyeh, other members of the USCPR have been linked to the PFLP. For example, the group's former board member, Rasmieh Odeh, was convicted in Israel for her involvement in a 1969 bombing that killed two Israeli students. She was later deported from the United States for lying on her immigration application about her involvement in the attack. The USCPR has been involved in organizing events and protests in the US that have been criticized for glorifying violence and promoting anti-Semitic rhetoric. The allegations against the USCPR not only stem from its alleged connections to a number of PFLP members and sympathizers, but from the organization's public statements and actions. For example, In 2017, the USCPR reportedly held a fundraiser for the Palestinian Prisoners' Committee, a group that has been linked to the PFLP. The event was attended by several individuals who were believed to have ties to the PFLP, including Leila Khaled, a well-known PFLP member who was involved in several hijackings in the 1960s and 1970s. The USCPR has also been criticized for its involvement in organizing the "Great March of Return" protests in Gaza in 2018. These protests, which were organized by Hamas and other militant groups, were characterized by violence and resulted in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians and injuries to thousands more. The USCPR has been accused of supporting these protests and of promoting anti-Semitic rhetoric in connection with them. In addition to these specific examples, the USCPR has been accused of promoting a broader agenda that is supportive of terrorist groups and their activities. Critics have pointed to the organization's support for the BDS movement, which has been linked to terrorist groups such as Hamas and the PFLP, as evidence of this agenda. The USCPR has also been accused of promoting a "one-state solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would effectively eliminate Israel as a Jewish state, which many Israelis see as a threat to their existence.
Another advocacy group, the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) is a London-based organization that claims to advocate for the rights of Palestinian refugees. However, there have been concerns raised about its connections to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. According to a report by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, the PRC has a history of promoting and glorifying terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups. In addition, in 2010, Israel banned the PRC for its alleged ties to Hamas. The Israeli government stated that the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) is a front for Hamas, and that its members have attended Hamas training camps in Gaza. The Israeli government has provided evidence of links between the two groups, including financial and logistical support provided by Hamas to the PRC. In 2006, Israeli forces arrested Jamal Abu Samhadana, the leader of the PRC, and accused him of being a senior Hamas operative. Israeli officials claimed that Abu Samhadana had received funding and training from Hamas, and had been involved in planning attacks against Israeli targets. The Israeli government has also cited the PRC's involvement in launching rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel as evidence of its links to Hamas. In 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, the Israeli military targeted PRC members who were involved in firing rockets into Israel. The group has been responsible for numerous attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, including suicide bombings and shootings. The PRC has been involved in lobbying efforts in the UK, and has been accused of using its platform to promote anti-Semitic views and extremist ideologies. In 2019, the PRC was stripped of its UN accreditation after concerns were raised about its links to Hamas.
If all of this evidence is out there, why are people still being fooled? These people do not want peace… they want war… until Israel is gone.

I’ve lost $109 ($90 + $19 shipping) from a Canadian seller through Facebook marketplace last summer: they offered a refund to me twice and I regret turning both down. Due to delay in shipping.
Paid $90 for 20 bratz dolls. Seller is located in Woodstock Ontario and I’m located in Georgetown Ontario. I believe I’ve reported her on Facebook. But she told me she shipped it eventually and they it would arrive within 1 week from being shipped; also that she’d send tracking but she never did.
Because also losing out on around $300 (plus $350 worth of texts I sent via text to a scammer: government grant scam) + $750 for an apartment scam;
I got my money back from 1 scam: where I paid via PayPal Goods & Services: PayPal chose my side based on the evidence I provided them. The seller kept saying that the payment was still pending and that they wanted me to have it cleared so they “could ship the items to me”. I know other people from the bratz doll community had shared in a group about that seller being a scammer so I wasn’t gonna believe anything the scammer said.
Anyone realize that another part of our addiction that we all fall for due to our impulsivity being that we can easily enough fall for scams and not think and end up either going to court to get the money back or losing $$$ for our impulsive actions with scammers?

As the Saturn library is more accessible with emulation and ODEs, its library can be daunting for newcomers. This is obviously very subjective, with the challenge of balancing historic relevance and modern playability. I'll leave my list here, but would love to read alternatives from the community.
This was not easy to compile. In no particular order:
NiGHTS Into Dreams: Sonic Team's masterful 2.5D aerobatics/platformer makes up for the Saturn's lack of an exclusive Sonic title (though Sonic Jam deserves mention). Vibrant 3D visuals and a beautiful, dynamic soundtrack accompany the unique gameplay, brilliant dream worlds and nightmarish bosses.
Guardian Heroes: Treasure rejuvenated the beat 'em up genre with this gorgeous title by infusing 2D fighter and RPG elements. 6 unique characters utilize a wealth of special moves, fighting through branching paths with a level-up system and excellent cooperative play. There's also a 6 player arena mode.
Street Fighter Zero 3: Nearly arcade perfect with all the additional characters and modes present in other home ports. The excellent Saturn controller makes this a definitive version to play. That said, there are so many other great 2D fighters from Capcom and SNK worth checking out on the system that it really pains me to recommend just one.
Fighters Megamix: The Saturn is also home to some excellent 3D fighters. Virtua Fighter 2, Fighting Vipers, Last Bronx and Dead or Alive stand out. But to pick one essential title, it would be Sega's foray into crossovers with the entire updated cast of VF2, FV and several unexpected guests. Although not the most balanced, it's packed with content and remains a Saturn exclusive.
Sega Rally Championship: The epitome of mid-90s arcade racing with tight controls, a fantastic soundtrack and 3D visuals with a solid frame rate. Although a little bare-bones, it plays better than most of its contemporaries.
Galactic Attack: Like 2D fighters, the import library is full of excellent SHMUPs (Radiant Silvergun, Soukyugurentai, Guardian Force, etc). Yet I find myself coming back to this one more often for its accessibility, excellent soundtrack, crisp visuals and simple-but-engrossing gameplay.
Saturn Bomberman: Bomberman done really, REALLY well. The standard mode offers a decent challenge and can be experienced cooperatively (for friendly-fire madness). Stages are unique, pleasant to behold and accented by a great soundtrack. Additionally, there is a challenge mode and multiplayer for up to 10 players!
Dragon Force: A unique strategy RPG. You pick one of 6 monarchs (+2 hidden) and set out to unite the land against a greater threat, commanding huge armies and raising powerful generals along the way. Spectacular real-time battles can push over 100 sprites on screen simultaneously. Each faction weaves their own unique tale, giving this game immense replay value. Also check out Dragon Force II, fully playable in English thanks to an awesome fan translation.
Panzer Dragoon Saga: It seems blasphemous to not mention the original Panzer Dragoon and Zwei, but PDS earns its spot. This 4-disc epic is as much an experience as it is a game, building upon the lore established by its predecessors. Combat is a mix of real-time and turn-based action, allowing you to maneuver around the enemy for advantages. Although relatively short, there's a lot to see and explore. Excellent graphics, music and artistic direction help paint desolate landscapes that often feel lonely and perilous.
Shining the Holy Ark: A party-based dungeon crawler that takes after Shining the Darkness. The first-person view and beefy pre-rendered sprites were quite impressive for its time. Exploration is strongly encouraged and your quest is gradually joined by a colorful cast of characters. Aside from a well-polished combat system, you are able to preemptively strike enemies with "pixies" (collected throughout the game) for bonuses. Being a loose sequel, Shining Force 3 also deserves mention and Scenarios 2 and 3 are playable in English thanks to fan translations.

Hey there! A bit about me, 28 from western Canada, really into fitness, kickboxing, painting, art, self development and video games! I tend to play a lot of suirvival, horror, co-op or cozy games.
Nerdy as heck, I give off a chaotic outer energy but I'm actually a very grounded introvert. Super into all things space, biology, horror, Doctor Who, Marvel, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings.
I have a small 25+ community server and we are currently looking for a few more members :)
Some of our main games or games I want to play more of include:
Stardew Valley
Minecraft
7 Days to Die
Killing Floor 2
Borderlands 2,3
Terraria
Grounded
Raft
The Forest
Smite
A few of us have also recently gotten the "Scary Games to Play in the Dark" Humble Bundle so if horror games are your jam, that has been fun.
We also host regular (voted) movie and party game nights!
Generally I'm very bubbly, charming and I have a bit of a dark sense of humour. LGBTQ+, 420 friendly. Very open and a huge mental health advocate.
If casual gaming, good convesation with an older crowd and dark humour interests you please feel free to dm your age, games and a bit about yourself! The more info the better! We would love to have you!

Ok everyone, today is the day. We had Furry Friends Friday, we had Salty Saturday. Now is the day to confess what YOU did wrong, this week, last week, last month, last year, whenever. This is the thread to purge YOURSELF. Confess your sins, your mess ups, your low down dirty behavior to Long Name. This community is anonymous, and we cannot absolve you from your sins- nor can we assign any hail Marys- but we will listen, judgement free, with an open heart and an open mind. The Sunday Confessional is not the place to attack, judge, or shame others for what they choose to share. This is the thread to get things off your chest- the good, the bad, and the ugly. We all have a tendency to get messy in life. You don't have to agree with someone's actions to be able to achieve the intended goal of this weekly topic. Please respect the users posting here. So! Do something dirty to a coworker? Stick your significant other's toothbrush up your a-hole? Did you keep the extra change you mistakenly got back from the store? Throw trash into someone else's dumpster? Or did you just jay walk? Don't hold back. We.Are.Ready!

There was a post a while back about a video from the Oscars, where someone simply said "before the dark times... before Disney." I got 18 downvotes for saying I agreed with it because it's their opinion and people have the right to be disappointed by what Disney has done. They weren't even talking about the sequels, and neither was I! I wasn't spewing hate or anger, I was calm and non-antagonistic, and so was the original comment, yet it still got nonstop antagonism from this sub that's supposed to be about calling out toxic behavior in fandom, because, imo, people assumed it was talking about the sequels (when it could have been talking about literally ANYTHING else Disney's dropped the ball on), and so overreacted. You wanna call out toxic behavior, please start by looking in the mirrors first.
Because I've used the line before. And it's NOT about bashing the sequels. It's about genuine issues I have with the Disney management that go beyond whatever their stories are like (because I haven't read or played or watched those, I can't talk about it). Like hyping up projects before they're finished. There's a lot of canceled Disney projects. That the video game side of the community is lagging compared to the Lucas era. The lack of diverse content for the many different types of Star Wars fans. That they haven't explored more of Legends or the sequel era (in the live-action setting, so no one can deliberately misunderstand me - I KNOW there's still printed material for it) reinforces that argument. There hasn't been a movie since 2019.
I could keep going. As I said, this sub could stand to be less antagonistic. Sometimes if feels as if you deliberately overreact to things to make up for insecurities you're having. That there's so often posts about how isolated and alienated you feel from the rest of the community I think shows that. You see what YOU want to see from comments or posts that are completely neutral in vacuum, and react with hostility because you're going off an image in your head or a problem you've had with others, and so take it out disproportionately on someone or something that's had nothing to do with that. I'm sure none of you are going to listen and will take this as me being antagonistic, but if you have open minds, you'll at least consider what I said and wonder if maybe there's the smallest grain of truth there. Or at least calmly tell me where and how and why you disagree.
I don't hold much hope for that, though.

Thames valley council for community action

The Okanagan: your regional hub for BC's Okanagan valley

Machine Learning

Data Mining

Copyright

Fair Use

Data Mining / Machine Learning vs Fair Use

The Story So Far

Where to Learn More

What's in LAION anyways?

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