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Government TV ad is latest in a series of striking public service announcements using humour to tackle tricky subjects

It’s a scene out of every parent’s – and teenager’s – worst nightmare: two adult-film actors turn up naked at the front door, to tell a stunned mother: “Hiya … your son’s been watching us online.”

The sudden appearance of a smiling but nude Sue and Derek has become something of a sensation as part on an unusual series of TV ads by the New Zealand government about internet safety for young people.

In the latest video for the Keep It Real Online series, actors pretending to be porn stars tell a woman played by comedian Justine Smith that her son has been watching their clips “on his laptop, iPad, Playstation, his phone, your phone, Smart TV projector”, adding that they don’t talk about consent and “just get straight to it”.

“Yeah, and I’d never act like that in real life,” the man, Derek, says, as the woman’s horrified son enters the room holding his laptop.

Sue explains: “We usually perform for adults but your son’s just a kid. He might not know how relationships actually work.”

More at link:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/15/new-zealand-government-deploys-nude-porn-actors-in-web-safety-ad?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVUy0yMDA2MTU%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUS_email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS

THis is heartening. Well worth a listen. Made me feel better. We do have some extraordinary leaders in this country.

Raw video: Portland police officers kneel with protesters
Some of the protesters got up to shake hands, high-five and hug officers.



https://twitter.com/Oregonian/status/1267282082532741121



PORTLAND, Ore. — On Sunday, a passerby captured an inspiring moment on camera, as Portland police officers took a knee with protesters in downtown Portland.

Some of the protesters got up to shake hands and high-five officers.

Ryan Ao said he was trying to get to his car which was parked in the area where a large, peaceful protest was happening on Sunday afternoon. He heard a lot of noise and went to see what was happening.

"I'm hearing a lot of cheering and all of a sudden I see some people hugging a police officer, and I'm like, 'What?'" Ao said. "So I come running down here to document this and I was just blown away.

"I think we saw a historic moment happen just now, where all kinds of protesters were hugging and high-fiving police officers, who took a knee with the protesters," Ao said.

"Go Portland. Right on."

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/raw-video-portland-police-officers-kneel-with-protesters/283-3fcf5066-9c32-4d40-a470-f3df5f019f8c

There is an 8PM curfew tonight. Hoping to prevent the violence of last night.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1262387776147918859

charging the officers, not just firing them. He's impressive. Lots of empathy. Supporting the protesters while begging for peace; stating how needed food, etc. is and asking them not to destroy what is needed for people in their community to survive the pandemic.

Really interesting the way he keeps bringing his fingers together. To me, it expresses an open heart and inclusiveness.
I tried to find an image or video clip but didn't. Maybe a little too early for them to be posted yet. But the way he used his hands to gesture was quite unique and conveyed a lot of heart.

Very inspiring and extraordinary true story about surviving by cooperating.

"When a group of schoolboys were marooned on an island in 1965, it turned out very differently from William Golding’s bestseller, writes Rutger Bregman."

snip

"I began to wonder: had anyone ever studied what real children would do if they found themselves alone on a deserted island? I wrote an article on the subject, in which I compared Lord of the Flies to modern scientific insights and concluded that, in all probability, kids would act very differently. Readers responded sceptically. All my examples concerned kids at home, at school, or at summer camp. Thus began my quest for a real-life Lord of the Flies. After trawling the web for a while, I came across an obscure blog that told an arresting story: “One day, in 1977, six boys set out from Tonga on a fishing trip ... Caught in a huge storm, the boys were shipwrecked on a deserted island. What do they do, this little tribe? They made a pact never to quarrel.”

snip

Story details how the author found the sea captain who rescued the boys and then found the boys, now ages 67-83. He interviews them and finds out how they not only survived, but survived very well.

Snip

"The kids agreed to work in teams of two, drawing up a strict roster for garden, kitchen and guard duty. Sometimes they quarrelled, but whenever that happened they solved it by imposing a time-out. Their days began and ended with song and prayer. Kolo fashioned a makeshift guitar from a piece of driftwood, half a coconut shell and six steel wires salvaged from their wrecked boat – an instrument Peter has kept all these years – and played it to help lift their spirits. And their spirits needed lifting. All summer long it hardly rained, driving the boys frantic with thirst. They tried constructing a raft in order to leave the island, but it fell apart in the crashing surf.

Worst of all, Stephen slipped one day, fell off a cliff and broke his leg. The other boys picked their way down after him and then helped him back up to the top. They set his leg using sticks and leaves. “Don’t worry,” Sione joked. “We’ll do your work, while you lie there like King Taufa‘ahau Tupou himself!”

SNip

But “by the time we arrived,” Captain Warner wrote in his memoirs, “the boys had set up a small commune with food garden, hollowed-out tree trunks to store rainwater, a gymnasium with curious weights, a badminton court, chicken pens and a permanent fire, all from handiwork, an old knife blade and much determination.” While the boys in Lord of the Flies come to blows over the fire, those in this real-life version tended their flame so it never went out, for more than a year.

Conclusion of article:
"It’s time we told a different kind of story. The real Lord of the Flies is a tale of friendship and loyalty; one that illustrates how much stronger we are if we can lean on each other. After my wife took Peter’s (picture, he turned to a cabinet and rummaged around for a bit, then drew out a heavy stack of papers that he laid in my hands. His memoirs, he explained, written for his children and grandchildren. I looked down at the first page. “Life has taught me a great deal,” it began, “including the lesson that you should always look for what is good and positive in people.”

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/09/the-real-lord-of-the-flies-what-happened-when-six-boys-were-shipwrecked-for-15-months?utm_source=pocket-newtab

https://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=v.dsp_featureArticle&articleId=272
This is very well thought-out and coordinated with nearby communities.

Here is just part of the plan (the rest is at the link) to give you an example:

2. How will you reopen safely?

All decisions about reopening follow recommendations from the Oregon Health Authority and are based on these main points:

.Where can we open without straining nearby communities?
How can we keep visitors and staff as safe as possible, given reduced services and staffing?
How can we keep facilities clean, allow for adequate physical distancing and monitor parking lots, among many other operational duties?

3. Why are only these parks open right now?
We are opening parks for limited day-use carefully and methodically, and after consultation with local communities. Other parks will slowly resume some services beginning May 11.

4. What should we expect now that some parks are open for day-use visits?

Because of the closure, we did not bring on our usual seasonal staff and volunteer hosts. Staffing is very limited and will continue to be limited when we slowly welcome back visitors. Please understand that service levels may not be what you are used to, and areas and buildings within the park may be closed. Visitors should also expect new restrictions that discourage group gatherings and congestion.

Visitors should expect a different state park experience than they are used to.

Please prepare:
• Stay home if you’re sick.
• If you visit, stay local and close to home-- meaning less than 50 miles in urban areas.
• Only visit the park with members of your household.
• Bring all supplies—food, water, hand cleanser—needed for a short trip.
If a park appears crowded, leave and come back at another time.

If there’s space at the park, please:
• Wear a face covering. Homemade is fine.
• Stay at least six feet away from people who aren’t from your household. Further apart is better.
• Cover your cough with a tissue (then throw it away), or the inside of your elbow.
• Leave no trace: pack out everything you bring with you.
• Stick to low-risk activities to reduce stress on local emergency response and health care systems.
• Keep your visit short. Restrooms and other buildings may be closed.
• Watch for signs at the park for more information.