October 12, 2015

Top News Stories –

Queen’s advisers strip Jeremy Corbyn of ‘Right Honourable’ title after Privy Council snub –
The Queen’s advisers told Parliament to strip Jeremy Corbyn of his “Right Honourable” status after Number 10 wrongly implied the Labour leader had joined the Privy Council, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. Mr Corbyn was described on Parliament’s website as “Right Honourable”, which denotes membership of the centuries-old Privy Council, until late last week. The Labour leader was also described as a “Right Honourable Gentleman” by Prime Minister David Cameron when they faced each other in the Commons last month, days after he was voted in as Labour leader. However, after Mr Corbyn failed to attend the first meeting of the Privy Council since the summer holidays with the Queen last Thursday, the “Rt Hon” title was removed from Mr Corbyn’s page on Parliament’s website. [Daily Telegraph]

Swedish police called on a beard club because they were mistaken for Isil –
The police in Sweden were shocked to receive a call from a passer-by that alerted them to a possible Isil warrior group, north of the city Jönköping. When they arrived, they “had a good laugh” – the group mistaken for Isil was actually a beard club called the Bearded Villians. They had stopped in the area in order to take a photo together, posing with a sign which, from a distance, could be mistaken for the Isil flag. [Daily Telegraph]

Bearded-Villains
Bearded Villains

Video of the Day –

Apollo Missions from harrisonicus on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 フォロワーA #MakeMondayBetterIn3Words #mondaymotivation
2 #TheWalkingDead #mondaymotivation #ChocolateWeek
3 #LeventKırca #ColumbusDay #FishUpAMovie
4 #nadaquecelebrar #IndigenousPeoplesDay Angus Deaton
5 #كلمه_تختصر_في�… Happy Thanksgiving Julian Assange
6 #QuandoEraCriancaEu Wallace #NationalCurryWeek
7 #WeArePerfect #1DImSorryFor June Sarpong
8 Angus Deaton Angus Deaton #1DImSorryFor
9 Viva España Carlos Correa #StrongerIn
10 #ConfiesoQue Jason Rezaian #TheWalkingDead

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October 13, 2015

Top News Stories –

Chess gets ‘sexy’ in million dollar Las Vegas tournament
The cerebral, centuries-old pastime of chess is not something normally associated with the glitz of Las Vegas. But amid the neon lights of the Planet Hollywood casino some of the world’s greatest grandmasters gathered to battle it out for $1 million in prize money at the game’s most lucrative ever tournament. There were tears and tantrums, controversial rulings, and stunning upsets – and that was exactly what the organisers wanted. The competition, called Millionaire Chess, was a concerted effort to “sex up” the favorite hobby of nerdy schoolboys, and ultimately turn it into a money-spinning television sport. To that end a Big Brother-style “confessional” booth was installed where players revealed their inner turmoil to a camera between moves and “trash talked” their opponents. The tournament was eventually won by [World number 2] Hikaru Nakamura. Following the biggest payday of his stellar chess career he said: “I want to thank the organisers. They have tried to make chess sexy and that’s what chess needs. There are so many stereotypes out there about chess. This is very special.” [Daily Telegraph]
HikaruNakamuraHikaru Nakamura

Playboy Magazine abandons nudity –
Playboy magazine is stopping publishing pictures of totally nude women because the internet has made them outdated, its US owners say. It’s a break with a 62-year format that has had a significant impact on American culture. Every month since 1953, fold-out spreads of fully nude women have filled Playboy. The glossy adult men’s magazine boasts a plethora of celebrity conquests in its portfolio. Madonna, Sharon Stone and Naomi Campbell were photographed at the peak of their fame. Kate Moss posed for its front cover in a bunny outfit. Lindsay Lohan and Pamela Anderson have also graced it. [BBC] Coincidentally today is international “No Bra Day”  – See Top Twitter Trends

Facebook Briefly Bans The Phrase ‘Everyone Will Know’ –
Facebook blocked the phrase “everyone will know” for more than a day, but users are now once again able to post the seemingly innocuous three words. “This was a mistake with our spam filter and our engineers have resolved the issue,” Melanie Ensign of Facebook security communications told The Huffington Post. HuffPost also independently confirmed that the phrase can now be posted. “We’re constantly updating the rules used by our spam-fighting engine and this particular phrase erroneously got caught in the mix,” she explained. Ensign didn’t know exactly how long the phrase had been banned. On Friday, someone asked on Question.com, “Why can’t you post ‘everyone will know’ on Facebook?” Another user replied they also were unable to post the phrase as a status. On Sunday, a Reddit thread was filled with people claiming they were unable to post the phrase as a status or in a comment. [Huffington Post]

Video of the Day –

Because he can

Top Twitter Trends –

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1 Martes 13 #GiveTwitterASlogan #NoBraDay
2 #NoBraDay #DemDebate #GiveTwitterASlogan
3 #SabesQueTeQuiereCuando #NoBraDay #AdaLovelaceDay
4 Emilia Clarke #AMAs #theatreheroesday
5 #WeArePerfectDay2 #BetterDebateQuestions #RAW
6 Vick T.I. Royal Mail
7 #كلمه_اول_ماتع�… Jennifer Lawrence #PAKvENG
8 #AMAs #AdaLovelaceDay #BritishProblemsNight
9 #Martes13 Nudes Are Old News Diane Abbott
10 #ZaynWeAreReadyForYourMusic Pitchfork Danny Cohen

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  • InBev agrees to buy its main rival SABMiller for £68 billion ($104 billion) in biggest beer deal ever. (CNN)
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October 14, 2015

Top News Stories –

‘Muggle’ becomes internet sensation after Democrat debate –
Amid the suited spin doctors and political professionals, one maverick in the Democratic Presidential Debate really stood out. And it wasn’t Bernie Sanders. The internet was abuzz with musings about who the striking white-haired person in the audience could be. Bathed in a blue light from the studio settings, the man was seemingly oblivious to the sensation he was creating. And his identity remains a mystery – for now – and so online jokers have come up with their own answers. [Daily Telegraph]
Muggle at Democrat conferenceMuggle at Democrat conference?

Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean both win three BET Hip Hop Awards –
Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean were the big winners at this year’s BET Hip Hop Awards. Both rappers won three prizes followed by Drake, J. Cole and Fetty Wap, who all won two. Lamar, who enjoyed success earlier this year with his third album To Pimp A Butterfly, was named lyricist of the year at the ceremony which took place in Atlanta, Georgia. He also won awards for impact track and hip hop video for his single Alright. [BBC Newsbeat] See List of the Day for full winners list.
Kendrick_LamarKendrick_Lamar

Video of the Day –

Man cuts ball fired at 160 kmh with samaurai sword

From comments:
Assuming the radar gun reads the highest velocity, and taking drag into consideration, the ball hits the sword after around 211 ms. If he is using the sound for triggering his reaction the sound would take ~3 ms to reach him and using the average audio stimulus reaction time of ~170 ms would leave him ~38 ms to draw the sword and hit the ball. That’s 0.038 seconds.

List of the Day –

BET Hip Hop Awards Winners 2015

Best Hip-Hop Video
Big Sean feat. Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign – “Play No Games”
Big Sean feat. Drake and Kanye West – “Blessings”
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” — WINNER
Nicki Minaj feat. Beyoncé – “Feeling Myself”

Best Collabo, Duo or Group
Big Sean feat. Drake and Kanye West – “Blessings” — WINNER
Big Sean feat. E-40 – “IDFWU”
Fetty Wap feat. Monty – “My Way”
Nicki Minaj feat. Beyoncé – “Feeling Myself”
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake and Lil Wayne – “Truffle Butter”

Best Live Performer
Drake
J. Cole — WINNER
Kanye West
Kendrick Lamar
Nicki Minaj

Lyricist of the Year
Big Sean
Drake
J. Cole
Kendrick Lamar — KENDRICK LAMAR
Nicki Minaj

Video Director of the Year
Alan Ferguson
Benny Boom — WINNER
Chris Robinson/Lil Chris
Colin Tilley
Director X

DJ of the Year
DJ Drama
DJ Envy
DJ Esco
DJ Khaled
DJ Mustard — WINNER

Producer of the Year
DJ Mustard — WINNER
J. Cole
Kanye West
Mike Will Made-It
Pharrell Williams
Timbaland

MVP of the Year
Big Sean
Drake — WINNER
Future
J. Cole
Kendrick Lamar
Nicki Minaj

Track of the Year
“Alright” – Produced by Pharrell Williams and Sounwave (Kendrick Lamar)
“Blessings” – Produced by Boi-1da and Vinylz (Big Sean feat. Drake and Kanye West)
“Commas” – Produced by DJ Spinz and Southside (Future)
“IDFWU” – Produced by Dj Dahi, Dj Mustard, Kanye West and Key Wane (Big Sean feat. E-40)
“Trap Queen” – Produced by Tony Fadd (Fetty Wap) – WINNER

Album of the Year
Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise
Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive — WINNER
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
Nicki Minaj – The Pinkprint
Wale – The Album About Nothing

Who Blew Up Award
Bobby Shmurda
DeJ Loaf
Fetty Wap — WINNER
Rae Sremmurd
Tink

Hustler of the Year
Dr. Dre — WINNER
Drake
J. Cole
Jay Z
Nicki Minaj

Made-You-Look Award (Best Hip-Hop Style)
A$AP Rocky
DeJ Loaf — WINNER
Drake
Kanye West
Nicki Minaj

Best Club Banger
Big Sean feat. E-40 – “IDFWU” (Produced by Dj Dahi, Dj Mustard, Kanye West and Key Wane) — WINNER
Dej Loaf – “Try Me” (Produced by Dds)
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen” (Produced by Tony Fadd)
Future – “Commas” (Produced by DJ Spinz and Southside)
Rich Homie Quan – “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)” (Produced by DJ Spinz and Nitti Beatz)

Best Mixtape
Future – 56 Nights – WINNER
Future – Beast Mode
Future – Monster
Lil Wayne – Sorry 4 The Wait 2
Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo

Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse
Drake – “Blessings” (Big Sean feat. Drake and Kanye West)
Drake – “My Way (Remix)” (Fetty Wap feat. Drake) — WINNER
E-40 – “IDFWU” (Big Sean feat. E-40)
Kendrick Lamar – “Classic Man (Remix)” (Jidenna feat. Kendrick Lamar)
Lil Wayne – “Truffle Butter” (Nicki Minaj feat. Drake and Lil Wayne)

Impact Track
Big Sean feat. Kanye West and John Legend – “One Man Can Change The World”
Common and John Legend – “Glory” (From The Motion Picture “Selma”)
J. Cole – “Apparently”
J. Cole – “Be Free”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” — WINNER

People’s Champ Award
Big Sean feat. Drake and Kanye West – “Blessings” — WINNER
Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
Future – “Commas”
Kendrick Lamar – “i”
Rae Sremmurd – “No Type”
Rich Homie Quan – “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)”

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #goodbyeMODEST #NationalDessertDay #phrasethatmakesyourheartsink
2 #DemDebate #goodbyeMODEST #DemDebate
3 Lamar Odom #CanadianSuperheroes #WorldMathsDay
4 #AltasGanasDe Lamar Odom Stephen Fry
5 #eushippo #PSAT #goodbyeMODEST
6 ME AND HARRY Me and Harry #PMQs
7 #بماذا_تشتهر_ب�… #ScaryAdviceIn4Words Lamar Odom
8 #BETHipHopAwards #CarterReynolds #ThankYouTakeThat
9 #NationalDessertDay PSAT #NCASC15
10 Yoko Ono Kardashians #ExOnTheBeach

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October 15, 2015

Top News Stories –

Twitter goes down for 10 minutes, everybody panics –
Twitter went down for users in several parts of the world, causing widespread panic and much soul-searching across the UK, Japan and parts of America. The Twitter website, Tweetdeck – its service for power users, and its mobile apps were all down at 14:14 BST on Thursday. Service was restored roughly 10 minutes later. The website Down Detector, which registers reports of outages, registered a huge spike in queries for Twitter being down. Users in the UK, Japan, the US and the Middle East were among those affected. [Daily Telegraph]
Twitter downTwitter down notice

Russia ‘tried to cut off’ World Wide Web –
Russia has run large scale experiments to test the feasibility of cutting the country off the World Wide Web, a senior industry executive has claimed. The tests, which come amid mounting concern about a Kremlin campaign to clamp down on internet freedoms, have been described by experts as preparations for an information blackout in the event of a domestic political crisis. Andrei Semerikov, general director of a Russian service provider called Er Telecom, said Russia’s ministry of communications and Roskomnadzor, the national internet regulator, ordered communications hubs run by the main Russian internet providers to block traffic to foreign communications channels by using a traffic control system called DPI. The objective was to see whether the Runet – the informal name for the Russian internet – could continue to function in isolation from the global internet. The experiment, which took place in spring this year, failed because thousands of smaller service providers, which Roskomnadzor has little control over, continued to pass information out of the country, Mr Semerikov said. [Daily Telegraph]

Porn during lunch breaks is OK but smoking cannabis can get you sacked, Italy’s highest court rules –
Employees cannot be sacked for watching porn during their lunch breaks if it does not impact upon their ability to do their work, Italy’s highest court has ruled. According to Italian media reports, the Court of Cassation ruled against major car manufacturer Fiat after it sacked a factory worker in Termini Imerese, a town in Sicily. Bosses had caught the man watching adult films at work, but he argued that his viewing was limited to “catching a glimpse of a movie during his lunch break”. But it wasn’t all bad news for Fiat, as in a separate ruling on Wednesday the court found the carmaker was within its rights to sack a man caught smoking cannabis during his lunch break – presumably because its effects continued into his working hours. [The Independent]

Video of the Day –

Back To The Future In ACTUAL 2015 – by College Humor

Top Twitter Trends –

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1 #ImPerfect #SpiritDay #SNP15
2 #FelizJueves #ProblemsTechnologyCantSolve #EducationDay
3 Primark Master P Die Hard
4 #EstariaNecesitando The Drone Papers Oscar Pistorius
5 #شخصيه_كويتيه_�… #OceanCelebs #kidscompany
6 #5SOSMNL Oscar Pistorius Fantastic Four
7 Oscar Pistorius #IDontMeanToScareYouBut #GlobalHandwashingDay
8 #Empire Theranos Boris Johnson
9 #DiaDoProfessor Fantastic Four Danny Ings
10 #曲名に無職だけど�… Evan Peters King Kong

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Business and economy
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  • Vietnam says a Chinese vessel rammed into and sank one of its fishing boats near disputed islands in the South China Sea. More than 20 Vietnamese fishing boats have been attacked by Chinese vessels this year causing tensions between both countries.(AP via Yahoo)
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Science
  • Astronomers say they have observed bizarre light patterns using the Kepler Space Telescope from a star that appears old, but is shrouded in debris like a much younger star, roughly 1,500 light-years away. This has led to speculation that these are an “artificial extraterrestrial mega-structure”, orbiting the star known as KIC 8462852 in the Cygnus constellation. KIC 8462852 lies just above the Milky Way between the constellations Cygnus and Lyra. It first attracted the attention of astronomers in 2009 when the Kepler Space Telescope identified it as a candidate for having orbiting Earth-like planets. (Independent) (Discovery News)
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October 16, 2015

Top News Stories –

Santa Claus is elected to North Pole City Council in Alaska –
Mr Claus, who is 68 years old, has a white beard and is often seen in his hometown wearing red. Admittedly this North Pole is actually in Alaska, not the one every associates with Christmas. And Mr Claus actually changed his name from Thomas Patrick O’Connor about 10 years ago. “I’m fairly well known. I think people are pleased with it. We’ll see. Time will tell,” he said. “I have three years to make a positive impression so hopefully I will get off on the right foot later this month.” North Pole, Alaska, is home to about 2,200 people. Their new city councillor will take his seat later this month. Mr Claus, who was living in Nevada when he changed his name, says he tries to help at-risk children and improve the lives of young people. [BBC Newsbeat]

China home to more billionaires than the US –
China has eclipsed the United States as home to the world’s highest number of billionaires, according to a new report. Despite China’s economy cooling in recent months, the number of billionaires within its borders rose this year by 242, bringing the total to 596. The US, in contrast, is currently home to 537 billionaires, according to The Hurun Report, which monitors the wealthy in China. The list reflects a power shift in China’s economy, with the surge in the number of super rich fuelled by the growth of the nation’s IT and manufacturing industries. [Daily Telegraph]

Yahoo Mail does away with passwords –
One of the biggest pains of the digital age is having to memorise multiple lengthy and appropriately unguessable passwords. Now, Yahoo has done away with the password altogether in its new Yahoo Mail app, instead asking users to sign in via push notification. The new app uses new sign-in method Yahoo Account Key, which sends a notification to the smartphone you’ve chosen to link to the account asking ‘Are you trying to sign in?’ and the option to select yes or no. Yahoo claims the feature is more secure than a traditional password due to the second step of phone verification, but without the need to input a code. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Tesla’s Autopilot System Is Creepy And Wonderful

Top Twitter Trends –

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1 #ItsPerfectDay #PreOrderPURPOSE #FridayFeeling
2 #PreOrderPURPOSE #ItsPerfectDay #WorldFoodDay
3 #HeyEverybodyMusicVideo #HeyEverybodyMusicVideo #PreOrderPURPOSE
4 Hayırlı Cumalar Malia Obama #HeyEverybodyMusicVideo
5 Oscar Wilde #RememberWhenPeopleActually #MercuryPrize
6 Falcons Ann Coulter #ItsPerfectDay
7 Irene Lozano #NationalBossDay Cook
8 BuyPurposeOnITunes #WorldFoodDay #bbcqt
9 #BuenViernes Joseph’s Tomb Falcons
10 #ادخل_وكتب_دعو�… #CrapperBooks Joe Cole

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October 17, 2015

Top News Stories –

Apple loses patent lawsuit to University of Wisconsin, faces hefty damages –
Apple Inc could be facing up to $862 million in damages after a U.S. jury on Tuesday found the iPhone maker used technology owned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s licensing arm without permission in chips found in many of its most popular devices. The jury in Madison, Wisconsin also said the patent, which improves processor efficiency, was valid. The trial will now move on to determine how much Apple owes in damages. WARF used the patent to sue Intel Corp in 2008, but the case was settled the following year on the eve of trial. Last month, WARF launched a second lawsuit against Apple, this time targeting the company’s newest chips, the A9 and A9X, used in the just-released iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, as well as the iPad Pro. [Reuters]

Volkswagen faces €40bn lawsuit from investors –
Volkswagen is set to be pushed deeper into crisis after it emerged that the carmaker is facing a record-breaking €40bn (£30bn) legal attack spearheaded by one of the world’s top law firms. Quinn Emanuel, which has won almost $50bn (£32bn) for clients and represented Google, Sony and Fifa, has been retained by claim funding group Bentham to prepare a case for VW shareholders over the diesel emissions scandal, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal. Bentham has recently backed an action by Tesco shareholders over the retailer’s overstating of profits. The pair are attempting to assemble a huge class action following what they call “fundamental dishonesty” at the German auto giant, which plunged the carmaker into crisis after it admitted using “defeat devices” to cheat pollution tests. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Jupiter in 4K

Top Twitter Trends –

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1 #ALDUBTheBigSurprise #1980sIn4Words #LFC
2 #telethon7 #telethon7 #1980sIn4Words
3 ICFES #MSUvsMICH #juniorcontract
4 FlyNoRaulGil Ole Miss Howard Kendall
5 Howard Kendall #FallBakingWithAlly #RSAvWAL
6 #ShowtimeLovesCebu #LFC #BBC4
7 #FPtauromaquia #MakeAMovieDeadly #MakeAFilmPrimAndProper
8 #ATodosNosPasoEsoDe Boise State Oasis
9 #FindConfidentBR Howard Kendall #telethon7
10 #FallBakingWithAlly #ALDUBTheBigSurprise Watford

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Law and Crime
  • Ardit Ferizi, a 20-year-old hacker from Kosovo and computer student in Malaysia, is arrested for hacking into a Phoenix, Arizona computer system and stealing the names and personal information of thousands of U.S. military personnel. Ferizi is accused of giving the information to ISIS. The U.S. is seeking Ferizi’s extradition. (CNN)
  • A shooting just before midnight at the ninth annual Fort Myers, Florida, Zombicon kills one person and injures four others, none with life threatening injuries, and causes pandemomium on the city’s downtown streets. Police ask attendees to share smartphonevideo from the incident. (USA Today) (Reuters)
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October 18, 2015

Top News Stories –

Spain to teach bullfighting in schools –
Spain’s education ministry has drawn up plans to create courses in bullfighting as an optional subject in state schools. For the first time, bullfighting, as well as other subjects related to the spectacle, will be available for students aged 16 and older who move into vocational training after finishing their compulsory education. The move appears to represent a final attempt to defend the activity by Spain’s conservative government before elections in December. Students who complete the course will receive a professional training certificate in “Tauromachy – bullfighting – and Auxiliary Livestock Activities” after they have learned the skills of bullfighting, the regulations applied to the event and the rules on breeding Spain’s fighting bulls. The full-time, two-year courses will be offered at a number of high schools around the country. [Daily Telegraph]

Big Ben’s clock ‘needs £40m of work’ to keep bongs sounding –
The taxpayer faces a bill of up to £40 million to keep the famous “bongs” of Big Ben sounding, according to a report. Parliament’s Great Clock is said to be so dilapidated that it could grind to a halt unless drastic repairs are carried out. A report presented to the cross-party Commons Finance Committee has set out a £29.2 million plan for fixing the issues. It would see the mechanism shut down for four months – believed to be the longest stoppage in its 156-year history. The document, seen by the Mail on Sunday and Sunday Times, said: “The clock currently has chronic problems with the bearings behind the hands and the pendulum. “Either could become acute at any time, causing the clock to stop – or worse.” [Daily Telegraph]
Cleaning_Big_BenCleaning Big Ben in 2007

Video of the Day –

The new Yahoo mail app.

Top Twitter Trends –

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1 #TodoEsSonrisaHastaQue #BadActionMovieSequels #IREvARG
2 PurposeJustinBieber #DemiOnSNL #OverAndOverAgain
3 #الاهلي_النصر #ConfessionNight #GreatBirminghamRun
4 Michigan Larry David #IfDraculaMadeAMovie
5 #FraseMuyDeMiVieja #RejectedSundaySermonTopics #MOTD
6 #VamosPumas Adele #SundayBrunch
7 #入ったことある委�… Zombicon #bbcsp
8 Larry David #IREvARG #GGGLemieux
9 #DemiOnSNL #TheForceAwakens #NUFC
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