Has your opinion of Russia changed pre- and post Crimean occupation?

I'm not sure if any UN member state have ever gained a territory by conquest, but I would associate this behavior with Idi Amin or Kadhafi, if I had to guess.

I never expected Russia to respect its treaties, but to formally fulfill international law, especially how much cheaper it would be not to invade Crimea. There was no strong anti-Ukrainian sentiment nor threat for Russian interests in Ukraine, AFAIK. This was like invasion of Afghanistan, today.

Homicide rates at the sub-national level, Europe

Global homicide book.








Wallonia is the most violent region of Western Europe. It's long lasting phenomenon. I heard citizens blaming post-industrial landscape, but no substantial cause of the violence.

Mafia?

Mafia Index map.

Why does everybody hate The Mysterious Mare Do Well?

What I dislike about the episode is the fact that the 5 are humiliating Rainbow Dash at all. This is out of character behavior of worst kind. This isn't a friendship, but some kind of toxic relationship. As far as we know she wasn't harming anybody, so the 5 was suppressing RD for acting outside of social standard. Imagine bulling FS for being shy and spending lots of time with animals, or TS for reading too many books, etc.

Russian anti-gay law

Promotion of non-traditional sexual relations among minors, expressed in the dissemination of information aimed at developing unconventional sexual juvenile facilities, attractiveness of unconventional sexual relationships, distorted notions of social equivalence of traditional and non-traditional sexual relations, or the imposition of information on non-traditional sexual relationships, causing interest in such relations...

Which episodes should I watch if I want to get into MLP?

Start from the beginning.

• It gives you time for adjustment to character design. While animation in MLP is seamless and fluent most of the time you may be unaccustomed to animated creatures in general or this type of them.
• The series popularity derives from gentle character development, for me at least. I can say that I like everypony from Mane 6, because they all had some episodes focused on them.
• The show is partially chronological. All episodes opening/closing seasons were happening in their screening sequence.

Road safety: Second good year in a row puts Europe firmly on track towards target

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-341_en.htm

Child cured of HIV?

The "child cured of HIV" sounds catchy, but it's not significant. This therapy shouldn't work for most of infected population and cannot stop a reinfection.

Gene therapy may offer 'functional' cure for HIV is much more important story.