January 9, 2010

Top Stories –
I’ll be back… with the bill –
The governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, reveals deep spending cuts to contain the state’s $20bn (£12.5bn) budget deficit. Spending on health, welfare, transport and the environment is to be reduced.
Governor_Arnold_SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger

Forget eating an apple, wear eye-shadow –
A French study, published in the journal Analytical Chemistry, suggests the heavy eye make-up worn by ancient Egyptians such as Cleopatra may have had medical as well as aesthetic benefits.

Top Video

Rush Hour London from Chris Searson on Vimeo.

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January 10, 2010

Top Stories –
Rod the Mod becomes a pensioner –
Rocker Rod Stewart celebrates his 65th birthday after being in the music industry for over 40 years and selling over 100 million records worldwide.
Rod_StewartRodStewart

Get your skates on –
Parts of Amsterdam’s historic canal system freeze over for the first time in over a decade, with skaters taking to the ice.

Top Video –
Fixed

“Fixed” 2010 from Jeffrey M. Thompson on Vimeo.

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July 20, 2012

Top News Stories –

12 people shot dead at Batman premiere in Denver, Colorado –
A masked gunman, 24, has shot dead 12 people and wounded more than 50 others at a Batman film premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in the US, police said. Eyewitnesses reported that a baby was shot at point blank range and some of the victims were children as a single masked gunman went on a rampage. It was not clear whether the baby, who local reports said was three-months-old, was killed in the attack. Police said the gunman is from Aurora but gave further no details. They were searching his home after he suggested there my be incendiary devices there. The gunman, who was quickly arrested, was reportedly wearing body armour and a gas mask and used tear gas in the assault inside the cinema. [Daily Telegraph]

Sacha Baron Cohen settles slander suit over grocer portrayed as terrorist in film –
A Palestinian grocer portrayed as a terrorist in the movie Bruno has settled his slander suit against film star Sacha Baron Cohen and David Letterman, his lawyer said. In the 2009 comedy, Baron Cohen plays an Austrian fashion journalist aiming to make peace in the Middle East. He interviews Abu Aita, who’s labelled in a caption as a member of the militant Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade. Baron Cohen discussed Bruno’s encounter with a “terrorist” on Letterman’s show on CBS. [Daily Telegraph]
Sacha_Baron_Cohen,_2011Sacha Baron Cohen

Video of the Day –

The Dark Knight Rises – Official Trailer #3

Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

Arts and culture
Business and economy
  • DirecTV and Viacom agree to a long-term deal for DirecTV to carry Viacom channels. (CNN)
Disasters and accidents
  • 21 people were killed and 29 others were injured in bus accident in the Mexican state of Nayarit. (Fox News)
Law and crime
  • The custody of three anti-Putin protesters from the Pussy Riot group is extended for another six months before their trial begins. (RIA Novosti) (AP via Google News)
  • David Burgess, already serving life imprisonment on two counts of murder, is given a fresh life sentence after being convicted of the 1966 murder of Yolande Waddington, a nanny from Berkshire, England. (BBC)

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January 2, 2015

Top News Stories –

Broken Bono –
U2 lead singer Bono says that a crash on his bicycle last November resulted in multiple left arm fractures, a broken should and hand and a fractured eye socket. He now has a titanium elbow and fears that he may never play guitar but his band-mates have reminded him “that neither they nor western civilization are depending on this.”
Bono U2 360 Tour 2011

Cancer due to bad luck –
A new piece of research by a team at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US has found that most types of cancer can be put down to bad luck rather than risk factors such as smoking. The research printed in the journal “Science”, showed 66% of the cancer types analysed were caused just by chance mutations rather than lifestyle.
Pink ribbon

Taking a bite out of Apple –
Miami residents Paul Orshan and Christopher Endara are suing Apple over the amount of storage space the Apple iOS 8 uses on mobile devices.They claim it uses up such a large amount that it forces owners to pay for iCloud storage. They are suing in California for millions of dollars.

Prince Andrew named in court papers –
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has been named in Florida court papers by a woman who says she was forced to have sexual relations with the prince in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by his fried Jeffrey Epstein when she was a minor. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: “This relates to long-standing and ongoing civil proceedings in the United States, to which the Duke of York is not a party. As such we would not comment on the detail. However, for the avoidance of doubt, any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue”.
Prince Andrew August 2014 (cropped)

Video of the Day –

This is my product from Matthijs_Vlot on Vimeo.

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January 11, 2015

Top News Stories –

More than three million take part in French unity rallies –
Huge crowds have taken part in a rally in Paris to commemorate the 17 people who died in gun attacks in the city in 3 days of attacks earlier in the week. More than 40 world leaders joined the start of the unity march, linking arms in an act of solidarity and an estimated 1.6 million marched in the capital. The rally was led by relatives of the victims of last week’s attacks and began at the Place de la Republique. The French government said the rally turnout was the highest on record.
Je suis Charlie, Place Luxembourg, Bruxelles, le 7 Janvier 2015

Boyhood wins Golden Globe Awards –
At the Golden Globe ceremony “Boyhood” won best drama movie with Patricia Arquette getting best supporting actress in the film.
Winners of all categories at the bottom of the post.
Patricia Arquette at Heart Truth 2009 (cropped)Patricia Arquette

Actress Anita Ekberg dies –
The actress Anita Ekberg,has died aged 83. A former Miss Sweden, she was branded a “sex goddess” for her performance in Federico Fellini’s 1960 movie La Dolce Vita. The scene where Ekberg walks through the waters of Rome’s Trevi Fountain in a black strapless dress is considered one of cinema’s most iconic scenes. A quote attibuted to her in her later years is: “I don’t know if paradise or hell exist, but I’m sure hell is more groovy.”
Anita Ekburg - 1956

First woman president in Croatia –
In elections in Croatia, opposition challenger Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has become the first female president of the country. The voting was extremely close with Grabar-Kitarovic receiving more than 50% of the vote for her Croatian Democratic Union party, with more than 49% for Ivo Josipovic who had been president since 2010.
Kolinda Grabar Kitarović Lisinski 2014Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic

Video of the Day –

Boyhood Trailer

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February 3, 2015

Top News Stories –

Zoella leaves dressing room for kitchen –
Zoe Sugg the YouTube vblogger with 7 million subscribers is to appear on the celebrity edition of The Great British Bake Off. Zoella as she is known online (@ZozeeBo with 2.6m followers on Twitter) recently featured on Debrett’s list of the 500 most influential people in Britain.
Zoe_SuggZoe Sugg A.K.A. Zoella

AKB48 proposed to open Olympic ceremony in 2020 –
The big debate in Japan today is whether to allow J-pop group AKB48 to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Their creator, Yasushi Akimoto, proposed choosing the best of the 48 girls (who rotate according to social media popularity) to appear but the idea was ridiculed by Japanese TV celebrity and columnist Matsuko Deluxe, who said the group (named after the Akihabara district of Tokyo) would be “an embarrassment”. The group have sold more than 30m records and had sales exceeding $128m (£85m) in 2013.
Ax10akb18

Big United beat little United –
Despite the support of 6,000 away fans Cambridge United are finally beaten by Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford in the 4th round of the FA Cup. Man Uniteds starting 11 cost £231m in transfer fees, Cambridge’s cost £0. By forcing a repeat two weeks ago the small club will get around £1 million for their share of the attendance fee which the chairman intends to spend on upgrading the toilets at their ground.

Cut down on your jog life –
A report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finds that people who jog at a steady pace for less than two and a half hours a week were least likely to die over a 12-year period that was studied. Those who ran more than four hours a week or did no exercise had the highest death rates.

Video of the Day –

Zoella’s YouTube trailer

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February 12, 2015

Top News Stories –

Fifty Shades of Grey tying firemen up in knots –
The film version of the erotic novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson premières in London and the London Fire Brigade are expecting a “spike” in people being stuck or trapped in handcuffs or rings. In November, firefighters were called by doctors at King’s College Hospital to cut two steel rings from a man’s genitals, which he had been unable to remove for three days and the brigade was called by a woman whose husband had become locked in a chastity belt.
Jamie_DornanJamie Dornan at the world première of “Fifty Shades of Grey”
Double decker bus saves naked man from fire –

A man trapped in a house fire in Braintree, Essex UK may have had his life saved after a bus driver managed to manoeuvre his double decker bus close enough for the man to jump onto the roof. The man had been taking a shower and jumped from the third-floor window naked onto the bus. After throwing him some clothes the man managed to climb down with minor injuries.

Bonham Carter strips for fish –
Helena Bonham Carter has also got naked and hugged a 27kg tuna between her legs despite claiming to have a fish phobia. The photoshoot was in aid of a Blue Marine Foundation campaign against over-fishing. Bonham Carter separated from her partner Tim Burton on December 24th 2014.
Helena_Bonham_CarterHelena Bonham Carter

Video of the Day –

Fifty Shades of Grey Trailer

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March 24, 2015

Top News Stories –

Germanwings plane 4U 9525 crashes in French Alps – no survivors –
A Germanwings plane carrying 150 people has crashed in the French Alps on its way from Barcelona to Duesseldorf. The Airbus A320 – flight 4U 9525 – went down between Digne and Barcelonnette. There are no survivors, officials say. The “black box” flight recorder has been found, the French interior minister says. The cause of the crash is not known and the plane did not send a distress signal. Among the passengers were 16 German pupils returning from an exchange trip. [BBC]
Germanwings_A319Germanwings A319 plane

 

Nash Grier offer ignites Twitter –
Nash Grier asks for selfies to be posted on his Twitter feed with the hashtag #BartAndNashsContest for a chance to be in his next Vine video. Result is top trending for the hashtag. (see Top Twitter Trends).
Copyright @NashGrier  TwitterNash Grier Twitter

Jaguar Launches the XF on a high wire –
The new lightweight Jaguar XF tackles a London water crossing via a 28mm wide high-wire suspended 18 metres above the city. Movie stuntman, Jim Dowdall was at the wheel in an attempt at the world’s longest high-wire water crossing by car. (See Video of The Day)

China orders square dancers to walk the line –
Chinese officials say they will introduce guidelines to regulate square-dancing in the country. The dance is wildly popular with elderly Chinese women and is performed en masse at night in public squares. However, Chinese authorities say the “over-enthusiasm of participants has dealt it a harmful blow, with disputes over noise and venues”. Fitness authorities plan to introduce 12 authorised routines and also permissible times and music volume. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

The Jaguar #NewXF performs the world’s longest high-wire water crossing –

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May 13, 2015

Top News Stories –

Prince Harry does the Haka in New Zealand –
Prince Harry has taken part in a traditional Maori Haka during his tour of New Zealand. It was part of a day of activities at Linton Military Camp, the largest army base in the country. [BBC] In December 2013 Prince Harry led his Sandringham workers team to a 7-2 victory in a football (soccer) match against local villagers in Scotland.
Prince_HarryPrince Harry

China imposes smartwatch and wearable tech army ban –
China has forbidden its armed forces from wearing internet-connected wearable tech, according to reports. The People’s Liberation Army Daily, the Chinese military’s official newspaper, said security concerns had been raised after one recruit had received a smartwatch as a birthday gift. News site NBC said its sources had confirmed a ban was now in place. [BBC]

Prince Charles’s private letters published –
Private letters sent by the Prince of Wales to Labour ministers a decade ago have been published after a lengthy legal battle. Clarence House said the move would “only inhibit” the prince’s ability to express concerns. In one letter to the prime minister, the prince said the armed forces were being asked to do a challenging job “without the necessary resources”. Release of the letters follows a decade-long campaign by the Guardian. [BBC] See Top Twitter Trends
Prince_Charles_2012Prince Charles

Video of the Day –

Why Do We Wrinkle When Wet?

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #WeWantNoControlAsASingle Instant Articles Prince Charles
2 Kim Jong-Un #WeWantNoControlAsASingle #BritishValues
3 #SomayıUnutma #HumpDay #WeWantNoControlAsASingle
4 #AVecesMeDanGanas Harriet Tubman #HumpDay
5 예비군 #ScientificTVShows Instant Articles
6 #MePuedeMuchoQue #Amtrak #UnlikelyLinesFromACooking…
7 Ali Kemal #Amtrak188 #AskMmusi
8 #ScientificTVShows #SingleBecause Suarez
9 #SiNoTeHubieraConocido Karachi #BBUK
10 Harriet Tubman #JacobOnBUZZ #GeordieShore

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May 19, 2015

Top News Stories –

Cannes Film Festival ‘turns away women in flat shoes’ –
Cannes Film Festival has come under fire after reports women were turned away from a red carpet screening for wearing flat shoes instead of heels. The women – some of whom were said to be older with medical conditions – were attending the world premiere of Cate Blanchett’s new film Carol. Screen Daily said the festival had confirmed heels were obligatory for women at red carpet screenings. However the director of the festival said the “rumours” were “unfounded”. [BBC]
Cate-BlanchettCate Blanchett

Prostitute pleads guilty in Google executive heroin overdose death on yacht –
A high-end prostitute who pleaded guilty to killing a Google executive with an overdose of heroin aboard his yacht has been jailed for six years. Alix Tichelman, 27, was initially arrested on suspicion of murder over the death of Forrest Hayes, 51, a father-of-five, who was found on his 50ft boat in Santa Cruz, California in November 2013. Surveillance cameras on the yacht recorded Tichelman gathering her belongings, including heroin and needles, finishing a glass of wine, and stepping over Mr Hayes as she left. Following her arrest she was dubbed the “call girl killer” and the “harbour hooker”. [Daily Telegraph]

‘Australian Hugh Hefner’ criticised for posting photo of his wife on a leash –
A tobacco tycoon labelled “Australia’s Hugh Hefner” has been accused of creating a poisonous cult in his waterside mansion after he posted images of his wife on a leash and of his children attending raucous poolside parties. Travis Beynon, who calls himself The Candyman, lives on a £1.9 million estate in Queensland’s Gold Coast and publishes a constant stream of images of his antics on his Instagram account. But the former Australian Football league player has been criticised for his lifestyle, particularly after he posted a photo of himself leading his wife Taesha and another woman on a leash, with the caption “Candyman’s interpretation of ‘Doggy Style’”. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

Scream Queens Trailer

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #FelizMartes #RIPWinnie Gerry Adams
2 #NoMeCabeEsoDe Malcolm X #CharityTuesday
3 理解度診断 #InMyHorrorMovie Hatton Garden
4 #19Mayıs1919 #HowToSurviveNYC #Ashers
5 #TheBachelorette Simon Pegg #FeelingMyself
6 #الهلال_بيروزي #RejectedPairings #askboris
7 #PrayForThePhilippines #PrayForThePhilippines #Eurovision2015
8 Matosas #5ONTHEWALL Sterling
9 Juana Viale Eddie Vedder #GiveAFilmASugarRush
10 #ReadyForScorch Robert Kraft #ReadyForScorch

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July 27, 2015

Top News Stories –

Vladimir Putin says Sepp Blatter deserves Nobel Prize –
Vladimir Putin has said that Sepp Blatter deserves to win the Nobel Prize and does not believe a word of the corruption allegations against the Fifa president. In an interview with Swiss broadcaster RTS, the Russian president gave his full support to the Fifa president just days after Mr Blatter had assured him that Russia had Fifa’s “complete trust” as hosts of the next World Cup finals in 2018. Mr Putin added that he believed that bribery scandal being investigated by US, Swiss and other law enforcement agencies was as a result of the failure of England and the US to win the rights to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. [Daily Telegraph]
Vladimir-PutinVladimir Putin

Norwegian court orders bank to cover man’s £23k lap-dance and drinks bill –
A Norwegian court has ordered a bank to cover a £23,400 drink and lap-dance bill run up by one man during a night at a Polish strip club. The court made the decision after it concluded he had been drugged and could not be held responsible for his actions. Sparebank 1 will now have to make up for its client’s losses even though an investigation by Polish police into the incident at the club in the up-market seaside town of Sopot has been discontinued. The court rejected Sparebank’s argument that the man was responsible for how he spent his money, saying all the evidence suggested he was doped, and therefore a victim. [Daily Telegraph]

Video of the Day –

The High Voltage Ejector Bed

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #3YearsOfFifthHarmony #DirtyWorkMusicVideo Sergio Romero
2 #OTRAMinneapolis #WhenTrumpIsElected #3YearsOfFifthHarmony
3 #LaPeliQueMeHizoLlorar WWGTM #mondaymotivation
4 Martinoli #3YearsOfFifthHarmony #BobbiKristina
5 Sergio Romero #BuyBEAToniTunes Conley Thompson
6 #dirtyworkmusicvideo #mondaymotivation Khloe Kardashian
7 Bugs Bunny #ImStrongestWhen #OTRAMinneapolis
8 #CiteCoisasQueOdeiaNoFacebook #IWasSoHighOneDay #ImHardLeft
9 Gago Bugs Bunny #jaiappreciationday
10 #MexicanPartyCopaOro Google+ Lord Sewel

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August 24, 2015

Top News Stories –

Edinburgh Fringe: Mobile phone joke voted funniest –
A pun by comedian Darren Walsh has scooped the prize for funniest joke of the Edinburgh Fringe. The 39-year-old, whose show Punderbolt is on at the Pleasance, took first place in the vote by TV channel Dave. The winning joke was: “I just deleted all the German names off my phone. It’s Hans free. Walsh, from Peterborough, who won the first UK Pun Championship last year, said he was delighted. “What a punderful feeling,” he said. [BBC] See List of the Day

British IndyCar Driver Justin Wilson Dies of Injuries From Pocono Crash –
Justin Wilson, a British racecar driver who was struck by debris from another car during the closing laps of the penultimate race in the IndyCar Series season, died Monday, racing officials said. He was 37. Wilson was struck in the head on Sunday at Pocono Raceway by a piece of debris that broke off from the car of Sage Karam, who was leading the race before he crashed. Wilson had tried to avoid the subsequent pileup, but his car hit the debris and veered into an interior wall. He was airlifted to a hospital in Allentown, Pa., where he was in a coma in critical condition before he died. [NY Times]
Justin-WilsonJustin Wilson in 2008

China’s ‘Black Monday’ sends markets reeling across the globe –
China has been a major contributor to economic growth and low global inflation for more than two decades. But tonight, investors around the globe are catching their breath after one of the worst day’s trading in many years. They’re now pondering whether today marks the start of a new and alarming phase of the crisis which began some eight years ago. And while today’s losses are sizeable, they’re not among the worst losses in market history. For all the talk of Black Monday in China,and gloomy photos to match, this was more of a correction in Western markets. [The Guardian]

Windows 95 turns 20 –
Windows 10 might be the current OS of choice for many, but 20 years ago today (August 24) the world of home computing underwent a seismic shift as Windows 95 rolled off the production lines and into people’s lives. The basis for many consumers’ first computing experience, Windows 95 revolutionised the computing space not only on the surface, but beneath it too. From an all new graphical user interface to a switch to 32-bit foundations, it’s hard to overstate the impact this Start menu introducing software has had on the world. If you can even remember the days of floppy disks then you’ll know how much of a nightmare the Windows 95 update must have been to install, compared to today when waiting 17 seconds for a film to buffer on Netflix seems outrageous. For those without a CD-ROM drive, each of the 3.5-inch cartridges held a measly 1.44MB of data. Later updates, for those refusing to accept CDs had taken off, jumped to 26 floppy disks. [Digital Spy] See Top Twitter Trends
Windows-95-logo

Video of the Day –

Guy annoys girlfriend with puns at Ikea – We moved in together recently so had to make the unavoidable trip to IKEA; I figured out how to get through there as quickly as possible.
Yeah, yeah I know, vertical video and all that. I filmed it in Snapchat, you’ll survive.

List of the Day –

The top 10 funniest jokes of the Edinburgh Fringe

  1. “I just deleted all the German names off my phone. It’s Hans free” – Darren Walsh
  2. “Kim Kardashian is saddled with a huge arse … but enough about Kanye West” – Stewart Francis
  3. “Surely every car is a people carrier?” – Adam Hess
  4. “What’s the difference between a ‘hippo’ and a ‘Zippo’? One is really heavy, the other is a little lighter” – Masai Graham
  5. “If I could take just one thing to a desert island I probably wouldn’t go” – Dave Green
  6. “Jesus fed 5,000 people with two fishes and a loaf of bread. That’s not a miracle. That’s tapas” – Mark Nelson
  7. “Red sky at night. Shepherd’s delight. Blue sky at night. Day” – Tom Parry
  8. “The first time I met my wife, I knew she was a keeper. She was wearing massive gloves” – Alun Cochrane
  9. “Clowns divorce. Custardy battle” – Simon Munnery
  10. “They’re always telling me to live my dreams. But I don’t want to be naked in an exam I haven’t revised for…” – Grace The Child

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 Windows 95 #BlackMonday Justin Wilson
2 #SummerSlam #HeadlinesWeWouldLove #3YearsOfUnionJ
3 #OTRAChicago #NationalWaffleDay #mondaymotivation
4 #كرتون_ادمنتو_�… Windows 95 #TubeStrike
5 Yarbay Alevi #firstdayofschool #BlackMonday
6 #هل_تتزوج_فتاه_… Quentin Tarantino #SummerSlam
7 #شي_تحتاجه_حال�… Reggie Wayne #OneDirection
8 Aamir Khan #ask5sos Fight Club
9 #BlackMonday #InBedThinkingAbout #iamgratefulfor
10 #FelizLunes David Wright #RuinASongYouLike

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September 6, 2015

Top News Stories –

Finland: City hands out ‘survival box’ to new students –
A Finnish city is handing out “survival packs” to new students, taking inspiration from the country’s famous baby starter boxes. The city of Lahti has packaged up a selection of essentials for new arrivals to its universities and colleges, helped by contributions from local businesses, national broadcaster Yle reports. More than 1,000 students have received one of the kits so far. And just like the parcels given to expectant mothers across the country, Lahti’s offering comes in a modest cardboard box. Among the items new students will find inside is a bus pass for trips around the city, some locally produced sheets and socks, and a pack of porridge, Yle says. Students can also tuck into the popular Nordic snack salmiakki – a sour, salty liquorice. The survival pack is meant to introduce students to the delights of Lahti while also serving as a marketing opportunity for businesses in the city. [BBC]

BBC plans North Korea broadcasts –
The BBC is to propose an expansion of the World Service – including its first radio broadcasts to North Korea [on short wave radio] – as it sets out plans for its own future. A children’s iPlayer and a pool of 100 local reporters who would share work with newspapers are also planned. Director general Tony Hall will say the aim is to turn the BBC into “an open platform for British creativity”. The BBC is laying out its plans as part of negotiations with the government ahead of charter renewal in 2016. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

MOVEment

MOVEment: Chalayan x AyaBambi and Ryan Heffington from Jacob Sutton on Vimeo.

Top Twitter Trends –

Worldwide USA UK
1 #OTRAMontreal #NewMagic8BallAnswers #UFC191
2 妹の日記念・妹10連… Purdue #WALvISR
3 #جيش_قطر_يتجه_ل… Sarah Palin #railwayupamovie
4 #BeyonceMadeInAmerica #RejectedPopTarts #respectharry
5 #LoQueMasQuiero #MyBumperSticker #ItalianGP
6 #LoQueDariaPor Colin Powell #BoyzNTheHood
7 마시기 #BeyonceMadeInAmerica Didier Drogba
8 #FelizDomingo #IBelieveBlackLivesMatter #MadeInAmerica
9 #UFC191 #HappyBirthdayDinahDime PETER HITCHENS
10 #画像フォルダの16��… Cheetah Girls #marr

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October 13, 2015

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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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January 10, 2016

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David Bowie dies of cancer aged 69 –

Singer David Bowie has died at the age of 69 from cancer. Tributes have been paid from around the world to the “extraordinary artist” whose last album was released days ago. His son, film director Duncan Jones, confirmed the news and a statement was issued on his social media accounts. “David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer,” it said, asking for privacy for the family. [BBC]
Iman_and_David_BowieIman and David Bowie

‘El Chapo’ Guzman: Sean Penn interview provokes US scorn –
The Obama administration and a US presidential hopeful have criticised Sean Penn’s interview with Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. It was conducted in October in the Mexican jungle after Guzman’s jail break, and published by Rolling Stone. A White House spokesman said the Hollywood actor’s “so-called interview” was “maddening”, while Republican Marco Rubio said it was “grotesque”. Guzman, 58, was recaptured on Friday after months on the run. Unnamed Mexican officials say Penn’s secret meeting helped lead them to the boss of the Sinaloa drug cartel. He has now been returned to the maximum-security Altiplano jail, from where he escaped in July via a tunnel dug to the shower in his cell. [BBC]

Video of the Day –

“Starman” 1972 from David Bowie on Vimeo.

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February 5, 2016

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X Games biker and BMX star Dave Mirra dies –
Police in the US say X Games biker Dave Mirra has died aged 41. Officers in North Carolina say his body was found early on Thursday with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. Dave Mirra was a former BMX champion and one of the most decorated athletes in X Games history. He won a medal every year from 1995 to 2008, picking up 14 golds. His one-time record of 24 career medals was only broken in 2013 by Bob Burnquist. Only Shaun White has won more X Games gold medals than him. [BBC Newsbeat] See Top Twitter Trends (UK)
Dave_Mirra_2010Dave Mirra in 2010

New York crane collapse kills at least one person –
A large construction crane has collapsed in lower Manhattan in New York City, killing one person and injuring at least two others. The Fire Department of New York confirmed the fatality and is on the scene responding to the accident. The collapse happened along West Broadway early on Friday morning in the Tribeca neighbourhood. The downed crane, which filled the street, fell onto numerous parked cars. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the victim was sitting in a parked car at the time of the accident, and that it was caused by high winds. Workers were in the process of lowering the crane due to the high winds when it collapsed. No workers were injured. [BBC] See Video of the Day

1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti breaks auction sale for racing car at $32 million –
A 1957 Ferrari driven by the great British motor racers of the 1950s broke the record for the world’s most expensive racing car sold at auction after fetching just over €32 million (£24.7 million) on Friday. Despite the stratospheric price at the Artcurial auction in Paris, the buyer cannot use the vehicle on the roads as it was designed purely for racing. Only four Ferrari 335 S Spider Scagliettis were ever produced, and this one had been in the hands of a private French collector for more than 40 years – hence the feverish excitement at the Rétromobile classic car show in Paris, where the auction took place. The 335S is purely a racing car, unlike the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, which was a dual purpose vehicle also homologated for road use.[Daily Telegraph] See List of the Day

Video of the Day –

Crane collapse in New York – original footage by Glenn Zito

Copyright Glenn Zito.

List of the Day –

Cars sold at auction for over $10 million (source Wikipedia]

Date MY Car s/n Auctioneer Locale Original price Adjusted
August 14, 2014 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO 3851GT Bonhams Carmel, California, United States US$38,115,000 $38,098,927
February 5, 2016 1957 Ferrari 335S 674 Artcurial Paris, France US$35,711,359 $35,711,359
July 12, 2013 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 196 010 00006/54 Bonhams Goodwood, West Sussex, United Kingdom US$29,600,000 $30,069,371
December 10, 2015 1956 Ferrari 290 MM 626 RM Sotheby’s New York City, New York, United States US$28,050,000 $28,050,000
August 17, 2013 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider 10709 RM Auctions Monterey, California, United States US$27,500,000 $27,936,071
August 16, 2014 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale 6701 RM Auctions Monterrey, California, United States US$26,400,000 $26,388,867
February 6, 2015 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider 2935GT Artcurial Paris, France US$18,500,000 $18,500,000
June 27, 2014 1954 Ferrari 375-Plus Spider Competizione 384 Bonhams Goodwood, West Sussex, United Kingdom US$18,400,177 $18,392,418
August 13, 2015 1964 Ferrari 250 LM 6105 RM Auctions Monterey, California, United States US$17,600,000 $17,600,000
August 17, 2015 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider 3095GT Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$16,830,000 $16,830,000
August 17, 2015 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale 3269GT Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$16,500,000 $16,500,000
August 21, 2011 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa 0666TR Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$16,390,000 $17,241,019
August 16, 2014 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider 2903 GT Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$15,180,000 $15,173,599
November 21, 2013 1964 Ferrari 250 LM 6107 RM Auctions New York City, New York, United States US$14,300,000 $14,526,757
December 10, 2015 1962 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato DB4GT/0186/R RM Auctions New York City, New York, United States US$14,300,000 $14,300,000
August 13, 2015 1998 McLaren F1 ‘LM-Specification’ SA9AB5AC4W1048073 RM Auctions Monterey, California, United States US$13,750,000 $13,750,000
August 13, 2015 1956 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’ 0557GT RM Auctions Monterey, California, United States US$13,200,000 $13,200,000
August 14, 2015 1953 Jaguar C-Type Works Lightweight XKC 052 RM Auctions Monterey, California, United States US$13,200,000 $13,200,000
May 25, 2013 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta ‘Competizione’ 0320AM RM Auctions Tivoli, Lazio, Italy US$12,812,800 $13,015,974
May 17, 2009 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa 0714TR RM Auctions Maranello, Emilia-Romagna, Italy US$12,402,500 $13,679,879
August 19, 2012 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster 130949 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$11,770,000 $12,131,681
August 15, 2014 1964 Ferrari 250 LM 6045 RM Auctions Monterrey, California, United States US$11,550,000 $11,545,129
October 14, 2015 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB 1995GT H&H Classics Duxford, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom US$11,440,968 $11,440,968
August 19, 2012 1960 Ferrari 250 GT California LWB Competizione Spyder 1639 GT Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$11,275,000 $11,621,471
August 17, 2012 1968 Ford GT40 P/1074 RM Auctions Monterey, California, United States US$11,000,000 $11,338,020
May 18, 2008 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider 2377GT RM Auctions Maranello, Emilia-Romagna, Italy US$10,894,900 $11,974,287
Sotheby’s
August 21, 2011 1931 Duesenberg Model J Long-Wheelbase Coupe 2478 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$10,340,000 $10,876,885
August 17, 2015 1982 Porsche 956 956-003 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach, California, United States US$10,120,000 $10,120,000
August 16, 2014 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 10621 RM Auctions Monterrey, California, United States US$10,175,000 $10,170,709

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4 #NoHayNadaPeorQue #nationalweatherpersonsday Maurice White
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8 #ALDUBPangalawangPagsubok #PTOGW #CBBFinal
9 #ConfissoesDeIgreja Ryan Leaf #FlashbackFriday
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March 9, 2016

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Anti-PC Effort #TheTriggering Explodes on Twitter –
#TheTriggering, a hashtag meant to ridicule politically correct attitudes, exploded on Twitter and became a major trending topic in the United States. Activist Lauren Southern came up with the idea a few months ago: [mediaite.com]
Lauren Southern Tweets
See Top Twitter Trends

Kim Jong-un says North Korea has miniaturised nuclear warheads –
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says his scientists have successfully miniaturised thermo-nuclear warheads to place on a ballistic missile and create a “true” deterrent, state media said on Wednesday. While Pyongyang has boasted of mastering miniaturisation before, this is the first time Kim has so explicitly claimed a breakthrough that experts see as a game-changing step for the North’s nuclear capabilities. Kim also stressed that the warheads were “thermo-nuclear” devices, echoing the North’s claim that the fourth nuclear test it conducted in January was of a more powerful hydrogen bomb. “The nuclear warheads have been standardised to be fit for ballistic missiles by miniaturising them,” Kim noted during a visit with nuclear technicians, the North’s official KCNA news agency said. [Daily Telegraph]

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The Most Interesting Man in the World Embarks on His Greatest Adventure Yet – Adios Amigo

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May 25, 2016

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‘Beauty and the Beast’ Teaser Tops ‘Star Wars: Force Awakens’ in First Day –
The first teaser trailer for Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast was viewed a record 91.8 million times in its first 24 hours — besting previous champ Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as well as Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Age of Ultron (each of them Disney films as well). The second teaser trailer for Force Awakens garnered 88 million views, followed by 61 million views for Captain America: Civil War, 55 million views for the second teaser for Force Awakens, and 34 million views for Avengers: Age of Ultron, according to Disney. [Hollywood Reporter] See Video of the Day

Norway consumer body stages live app terms reading –
Norwegians have spent more than 30 hours reading out terms and conditions from smartphone apps in a campaign by the country’s consumer agency. The average Norwegian has 33 apps, the Norwegian Consumer Council says, whose terms and conditions together run longer than the New Testament. To prove the “absurd” length, the council got Norwegians to read each of them out in real time on their website. The reading finished on Wednesday, clocking in at 31:49:11. [BBC]

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Beauty and the Beast Official US Teaser Trailer

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June 21, 2016

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Albania football win brings team diplomatic passports –
Albania says it will reward its national footballers with diplomatic passports for having beaten Romania 1-0 at the Euro 2016 tournament. The country has never played before in a major football competition. But it is not yet clear whether Albania will qualify for the next round in France. The team will get €1m (£770,000; $1.1m) in extra funding as well as the new passports, the government said. Albania lost their other two matches, coming third in their Euro 2016 group. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama captured the nation’s excitement on Sunday by tweeting “Goooooooooool….” when Armando Sadiku headed the winning goal against Romania in the first half. The award of diplomatic passports is mainly symbolic, as many of the Albanian players are already with clubs elsewhere in Europe and Albanians enjoy visa-free travel to the EU. They will not enjoy diplomatic immunity, as that is reserved for official diplomats, but they will benefit from easier international travel. [BBC]

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MAN IN PHONE – Short Film from Mackenzie Sheppard on Vimeo.

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