Disabled dog runs for the first time thanks to 3D-printed legs →

Tara Anderson, a director at 3D-printing company 3D Systems, adopted Derby from non-profit dog rescue Peace and Paws. "I kept looking at his photo and reading his story, and I cried literally every time," says Tara in the video. So she decided to do something about it and created a pair of specially fitted prosthetic legs for Derby, built in a loop configuration similar to kids’ "jumping shoes" to stop him digging them into the ground. The result is one happy dog.

Christmas Tree, Inc. →

Your tree has a complicated backstory, one that includes daredevil helicopter pilots, 18-hour days battling Oregon sleet and, of course, the fickle hibernation habits of squirrels.

The problem with women in combat units →

A good list of current problems with integrating combat units. And,...

A final piece of advise (sic)

Should you find yourself in command of a combat unit with woman in it my advice would be:

Relax – don’t look upon your soldiers as men and women. Look upon them as soldiers. Treat them all differently but make sure you measure them by the same standards. It is not OK to discriminate.

U.S. Plans to Sue New York Over Rikers Island Conditions →

Federal prosecutors plan to sue New York City over widespread civil rights violations in the handling of adolescent inmates at Rikers Island, making clear their dissatisfaction with the city’s progress in reining in brutality by guards and improving conditions at the jail complex, a new court filing shows.
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The report found rampant use of excessive force by correction officers, the overuse of solitary confinement and an ineffectual system of investigating assaults by guards. Weeks earlier, an investigation by The New York Times documented the cases of 129 inmates who had been seriously injured in altercations with guards last year.

Why Selma Matters Today: The film offers a vital lesson for those who want to confront police violence today. →

There was a moment, early in the event, when long-burning tension between Sharpton and the newer, younger activists flared into the open. At the focal point of the gathering were speakers, many with connections to Sharpton and the NAN. The younger activists were disgusted, angry with Sharpton and convinced that this was a march for his aggrandizement, not a protest for justice and radical change. Some took to the stage to demand the microphone, and one woman—Johnetta Elzie, who said she was tear-gassed while protesting in Ferguson—gave a sharp critique. “This movement was started by the young people. We started this. It should be young people all over this stage. It should be young people all up here.” The mic was cut, and the activists folded back into the crowd. The march began, with thousands listening to Sharpton and other approved voices.

It’s noteworthy that Selma had a similar—if quieter—moment between SNCC representatives James Forman and John Lewis and the on-site leadership of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, including King. Forman, in particular, was frustrated with King’s attempt to claim leadership and displace SNCC activities. King’s argument—the reason he thought he was right to take control—was that he and the SCLC had a record of getting results. And while they didn’t have the grassroots connections of the SNCC activists, they knew how to channel anger into action and action into accomplishment.

Memo to Staff: Time to Lose a Few Pounds →

Seeking to make a dent in the intractable problem of obesity—a condition affecting roughly one-third of U.S. adults and costing companies more than $73 billion a year, according to researchers from Duke University—businesses are experimenting with new measures to encourage workers to slim down.

They are moving beyond healthy snacks in vending machines or discounted gym memberships and taking an aggressive, personalized approach to workers’ weight. 

Some are offering employees wearable fitness trackers and competitions on social apps, covering weight-loss surgeries and drugs, and providing mental-health counseling designed to get at the emotions that may underlie eating issues.

I wonder if things really have gotten this bad, overall. I wouldn't be surprised: US food portions are enormous, are filled with sugars, fats, and salts... The people harmed the most by this trend also tend to be the poorest, who rely on cheaper (worse) foods, and can't afford the time or money investment on nutrition education or exercise. But that's where this article is a tad surprising: these are more-affluent corporations, with their more-affluent employees. Will this turn into a societal trend? or just be a fad?

This is, of course, also insane. As stated, a large part of this is our norms and politics: the large food portions we're used, and the corn and sugar lobbies which push inclusion of ever more corn syrup. So we waste incredible amounts of money engineering our foods to make us fat, only to spend even more money to stay healthy.