February 10, 2010

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Cashmere loo roll, the ultimate bathroom indulgence –
Quilted, embossed, ultra soft aloe vera – the humble loo roll has gone steadily more upmarket in recent years. But surely it has now hit the apogee of indulgence: a cashmere version has gone on sale. Cashmere, one of the softest and most prized materials, has been used to add an extra layer of extravagance to the sheets of paper, ensuring consumers enjoy the bottom line in comfort. The loo rolls have gone on sale in Waitrose, the supermarket with a legion of loyal and discerning middle-class customers. The supermarket won’t reveal quite how much cashmere goes into each roll, but insists it is a “significant” amount. No cashmere fibres themselves are included in the manufacturing process. Rather, the paper is covered in oil extracted from the hairs of the cashmere goat. [Daily Telegraph]

Sleeping Beauty condition means teenager sleeps for two weeks –
Louisa Ball, 15, has earned the nickname ‘Sleeping Beauty’ thanks to a rare condition that causes her to sleep for up to two weeks at a time. Miss Ball, from Worthing, has slept through school exams, dance competitions and entire family holidays thanks to her unusual condition. Her prolonged sleeps, which began in 2008 as she recovered from flu, were initially thought to be hormonal until she was diagnosed with Kleine-Levin Syndrome last year. People who develop the condition, also known as Sleeping Beauty Disease, are prone to falling into extended periods of deep sleep that can stretch to weeks. [Daily Telegraph]

Beyonce and Alicia Keys film music video in Rio slum –
The Grammy Award winning singers performed at the Morro da Conceicao shantytown.
They were shooting a video for a duet “Put It In a Love Song” which appears on Keys’ album “The Element of Freedom.”
Beyonce is on tour in Brazil and is expected to have a special role in the video.
Keys had already filmed part of her video at the Dona Marta slum, which became renowned worldwide after Michael Jackson was there in 1996 to film a video for “They Don’t Care About Us.” [Daily Telegraph]
Alicia KeysAlicia Keys

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HP – invent from Wriggles & Robins on Vimeo.

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February 20, 2016

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Brendon McCullum: New Zealand captain breaks fastest Test century record –
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum scored the fastest ever Test century in a majestic display against Australia on the first day of the second Test. The 34-year-old needed just 54 balls to reach his 12th century in his 101st and final Test before retiring. It beat the mark of 56 balls set by West Indies great Sir Viv Richards against England in 1986, and equalled by Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq in 2014. “I was trying to hit every ball for four or six,” said McCullum. “Viv was my idol growing up, he was an incredible cricketer. I’m almost a little bit of embarrassed to go past him, to be honest.” He went on to score 145 off of 79 balls. [BBC] See List of the Day

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Every Best Visual Effects Winner. Ever. from Burger Fiction on Vimeo.

List of the Day –

Fastest Test Centuries [from Wikipedia]

Fastest Test centuries
No. of balls Player Opponent Venue Season
54 New Zealand Brendon McCullum  Australia Hagley Oval, Christchurch 2015–16
56 West Indies Cricket Board Viv Richards England England Antigua Recreation Ground, St. John’s 1985–86
Pakistan Misbah-ul-Haq Australia Australia Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 2014
57 Australia Adam Gilchrist England England WACA Ground, Perth 2006–07
67 Australia Jack Gregory South Africa South Africa Old Wanderers, Johannesburg 1921–22
Last updated: 20 February 2016[

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February 23, 2016

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London’s Crossrail to be called the Elizabeth Line –
Crossrail, the new railway which will run beneath London, is to be named the Elizabeth Line in honour of the Queen, Boris Johnson has announced. London’s mayor revealed the line’s name and purple logo as he visited Bond Street station with the monarch. Trains on the railway will travel under the centre of the city, linking parts of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to Essex when it opens in December 2018. Mr Johnson said it was “wonderful” the line had “such a significant name”. “The Elizabeth Line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest-serving monarch”, the mayor said. [BBC]
Elizabeth_line_roundelElizabeth Line Roundel

Thai princess leaves $40,000 custom toilet ‘unused’ –
A toilet that cost an estimated $40,000 (£28,300) to custom-build for a Thai princess visiting Cambodia was left unused, officials say. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn reportedly just took photos of the toilet’s building during her visit to Yeak Lom Lake, in north-east Cambodia. The toilet has now been removed and the hut will serve as a tourist office.
The story made headlines in Cambodia, where fewer than 40% of people in rural areas have access to toilets. The toilet, housed in a specially constructed air-conditioned hut, was set up for Ms Sirindhorn two-hour visit to the north-eastern lake on Monday, reportedly at her request. [BBC]
HRH_Princess_Maha_Chakri_SirindhornHRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn

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Bass Pro Edition | Dude Perfect

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April 6, 2016

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Samsung patents design for ‘smart’ augmented reality contact lenses –
Samsung has filed a patent on ‘smart’ contact lenses, which can project images straight into the users’ eyes. Wearing the lenses would allow users to experience ‘augmented’ reality, with computer-generated images superimposed over the real world. As Samsung blog SamMobile reveals, the South Korean patent shows a drawing of the lens, which is fitted with a miniscule display, camera and antenna. It’s also fitted with a number of sensors that can detect eye movement and blinking, which is how users would control the display. Since the device is so small, it’s designed to connect to a smartphone for processing power. According to the patent application, written in Korean and translated by SamMobile, the contact lenses would provide much better image quality than existing smart glasses, as well as being far less bulky and intrusive. [The Independent]
Samsung Contact Lens patent imageSamsung Contact Lens patent image

US university in Scalia law school acronym blunder –
Officials at a US university were left red-faced after their decision to rename a law school after late Supreme Court judge Antonin Scalia prompted hilarity over its unfortunate acronym. George Mason University in Virginia said its law school would be called the Antonin Scalia School of Law. The eagle-eyed immediately took to Twitter to point out that the acronym would be ASSoL. The university has since renamed it as the Antonin Scalia Law School. [BBC]

Beyonce sues over ‘Feyonce’ label –
Singer Beyonce is suing a US company to stop it from selling merchandise branded “Feyonce”. Texas firm Feyonce Inc sells clothing, and other items such as mugs with the label, on its website. The pop star claims the label is too near to her own trademarked name and confuses customers and fans and damages her reputation. The singer also claims in court papers filed in Manhattan that the company has ignored her requests to stop. Beyonce’s complaint accuses the San Antonio company, and three individuals, of “brazenly” selling the Feyonce-labelled merchandise. [BBC]
Beyonce_KnowlesBeyonce_Knowles

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