On what website could you watch lonelygirl15?

Lonelygirl15: how one mysterious vlogger changed the internet | Technology | The Guardian The Guardian Lonelygirl15: how one mysterious vlogger changed the internet Bree was a funny, friendly 16-year-old video blogger with a strange family. But all was not what it seemed. Ten years on, we revisit YouTube’s first viral sensation Lonelygirl15: how one mysterious vlogger changed the internet Thursday 16 June 2016 04.00 EDT Share on Messenger Close In June 2006, a 16-year-old girl began a video blog on YouTube . Her name was Bree, she’d been lurking in the burgeoning community for a while. She was a self-described dork, she thought her hometown was really boring – “Maybe that’s why I spend so much time on my computer …” She was funny, friendly, had great eyebrows. Her first few videos were relatable and cute, introducing her friend Daniel and complaining about being home-schooled and having to do homework in June. It soon became clear she was pretty lonely, which was probably why her username was Lonelygirl15. Pinterest Bree was one of a slowly-growing community on YouTube of confessional video bloggers. They poured their lives into their webcams, not yet an automatic feature on laptops as they are today. Their follower bases grew slowly but steadily, with regular, and often grainy, videos about their day-to-day lives. They were largely ignored by the mainstream media, who at the time dismissed YouTube as just a repository for cat videos. Lonelygirl15 changed all that. Her followers quickly ballooned and she became one of the young site’s most popular stars. The New York Times had a recurring blog about her. She had her own forum. Hundreds of people wanted to be her friend on Myspace . The thing is, Bree wasn’t real. Lonelygirl15 actually had a small team of writers. Bree and her best friend Daniel were played by actors. YouTubers and the media had been duped. Yet this was no mere flash in the pan hoax – this was YouTube’s first web series. This was the first time someone proved you could actually make money on YouTube. And that changed everything. Remember Lonely Island’s “Lazy Sunday” video? It was the one where Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell rapped about a Sunday getting cupcakes and going to the movies. Miles Beckett does. Because that’s the video that began his obsession with YouTube. Pinterest “Someone posted it on Myspace, I think it was in December 2005?” he says. “And that’s how I found out about YouTube.” Back then, YouTube was just getting started. It wasn’t yet a year old, but it was growing quickly. The next summer it would be one of the fastest growing sites on the internet and would go on to be bought by Google for $1.65bn. Then a doctor, Beckett was among the millions of visitors to the site in its infancy, following the community and learning from it. One of the most-viewed videos from the pre-Lonelygirl15 era of YouTube was of two guys lipsyncing to the Pokemon theme songs. It was all filmed on their webcam and netted them about 24 million views before it was removed. Beckett had a thought. How could you really tell what was real and what was fake on YouTube? Anyone could buy a webcam or cameraphone and upload what they wanted. So how easy would it be to create an entirely fictitious YouTuber? “I thought it would be really cool if there was a video blogger and you told the story just like you would a TV show,” he said. He sat on this idea for a while. Then, one evening at a karaoke bar in LA, he met Mesh Flinders. The two hit it off so well, Beckett took a chance. He told Flinders about this new medium and his idea for a new story on it. Within a matter of days, they began writing the script. Within two weeks, they had the entire plot points for the first three months of videos. The story goes like so: our protagonist, Bree, is a homeschooled 16-year-old who doesn’t have a lot in the way of friends. Her days are spent on the internet, doing homework or hanging out with her one friend Daniel. She seems like a happy-go-lucky teenager, curious about science and history … except her parents are part of some str


Whose birth certificate became an obsession for conspiracy theorists?

All In Segment On Trump’s “Obsession” With Conspiracy Theories And How It Can “Inform The Policy” E.g., 01/19/2017 Search All In Segment On Trump’s “Obsession” With Conspiracy Theories And How It Can “Inform The Policy” Benjy Sarlin: "If You Can Find A Conspiracy Theory Behind Something, He'll Just Leap To It" From the May 5 edition of MSNBC's All In with Chris Hayes: Loading the player reg... CHRIS HAYES (HOST):We talked earlier in the show about Donald Trump's changing positions, but one area where he’s been really quite consistent is in his flirtation with, openness towards and sometimes seemingly outright belief in a variety of debunked, implausible, and, or, preposterous conspiracy theories. This is a man who effectively launched his political career with a sustained public campaign alleging the President of the United States was actually a secret Kenyan whose true birth certificate had been hidden away by a shadowy cabal involved in a decades-long cover-up.  [...] HAYES: Benjy, you had a piece about this, about the kind of obsession that he seems to have with conspiracy theories.  BENJY SARLIN: That's right. This is something that's been going back years. If you can find a conspiracy theory behind something, he'll just leap to it and one of the most famous examples that's talked about less is that it's not just that he wants to build a border wall with Mexico or kick out all the immigrants, it's that the reason he thinks we need this is because there's a shadowy plot by the Mexican government to push criminals and, quote, unquote, rapists into America. There's is just no factual basis for this. And the source Trump cited when pressed in a debate was, quote, border patrol people that he had talked to at the border. That’s it. So this gets to a deeper thing. It's not just that Trump has all these -- often very race-baiting -- conspiracy theories, it's that it speaks to what he considers a credible source. He tweeted, for example, that a quote, extremely credible source, called him up and told him that Obama’s birth certificate was a fraud. After he shared fake statistics claiming that black people were killing white people at incredible rates he said, “I retweeted an expert,” when he was asked on Fox News about it. The expert was @SeanSean252 on Twitter, and he just kept insisting that this was a credible source. Presidents have to make decisions often between intelligence sources, between advisers, about what they can trust, what's credible, and this really throws that into question in a way that's never been true of a major party nominee.  [...] HAYES: Benjy, how much of this do you think is actually held views of Donald Trump? I mean, there's lots of things he does that I feel are performance or schtick or essentially playing for, what I think frankly he views as the rubes. This seems to me like fundamental to his character. Like before he was ever in public life, he was into this stuff.  SARLIN: Well to some degree it almost doesn't matter how much he believes it or not. You know? We can only go by what he outright says. But I will say there are cases where it seems to really inform the policy.  Previously:


What country suffered the most deaths from the 2004 tsunami?

The Deadliest Tsunami in History? The Deadliest Tsunami in History? Did Animals Sense Tsunami Was Coming? Giant forces that had been building up deep in the Earth for hundreds of years were released suddenly on December 26, shaking the ground violently and unleashing a series of killer waves that sped across the Indian Ocean at the speed of a jet airliner. By the end of the day more than 150,000 people were dead or missing and millions more were homeless in 11 countries, making it perhaps the most destructive tsunami in history. The epicenter of the 9.0 magnitude quake was under the Indian Ocean near the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, according to the USGS, which monitors earthquakes worldwide. The violent movement of sections of the Earth's crust, known as tectonic plates, displaced an enormous amount of water, sending powerful shock waves in every direction. The earthquake was the result of the sliding of the portion of the Earth's crust known as the India plate under the section called the Burma plate. The process has been going on for millennia, one plate pushing against the other until something has to give. The result on December 26 was a rupture the USGS estimates was more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) long, displacing the seafloor above the rupture by perhaps 10 yards (about 10 meters) horizontally and several yards vertically. That doesn't sound like much, but the trillions of tons of rock that were moved along hundreds of miles caused the planet to shudder with the largest magnitude earthquake in 40 years. Above the disturbed seafloor the great volume of the ocean was displaced along the line of the rupture, creating one of nature's most deadly phenomena: a tsunami. Within hours killer waves radiating from the earthquake zone slammed into the coastline of 11 Indian Ocean countries, snatching people out to sea, drowning others in their homes or on beaches, and demolishing property from Africa to Thailand. Tsunamis have been relatively rare in the Indian Ocean, at least in human memory. They are most prevalent in the Pacific. But every ocean has generated the scourges. Many countries are at risk. (Read "Tsunami: Facts About Killer Waves" for more about killer waves' causes and warning signsinformation that can be a lifesaver in a tsunami zone.) For more about the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 scroll down the page. The Indian Ocean tsunami traveled as much as 3,000 miles (nearly 5,000 kilometers) to Africa, arriving with sufficient force to kill people and destroy property. A tsunami may be less than a foot (30 centimeters) in height on the surface of the open ocean, which is why they are not noticed by sailors. But the powerful pulse of energy travels rapidly through the ocean at hundreds of miles per hour. Once a tsunami reaches shallow water near the coast it is slowed down. The top of the wave moves faster than the bottom, causing the sea to rise dramatically. The Indian Ocean tsunami caused waves as high as 50 feet (15 meters) in some places, according to news reports. But in many other places witnesses described a rapid surging of the ocean, more like an extremely powerful river or a flood than the advance and retreat of giant waves.


What was the name of Al Gore's documentary?

An Inconvenient Truth (2006) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim follows Al Gore on the lecture circuit, as the former presidential candidate campaigns to raise public awareness of the dangers of global warming and calls for immediate action to curb its destructive effects on the environment. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 36 titles created 07 Oct 2012 a list of 27 titles created 07 Nov 2012 a list of 37 titles created 25 Sep 2014 a list of 46 titles created 17 Jan 2015 a list of 22 titles created 29 Oct 2015 Title: An Inconvenient Truth (2006) 7.5/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won     2     Oscars. Another    30 wins & 10 nominations. See more awards  » Videos In the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family. Director: Luc Jacquet Alex Gibney exposes the haunting details of the USA's torture and interrogation practices during the War in Afghanistan. Director: Alex Gibney Two documentary filmmakers chronicle their time in Sonagchi, Calcutta and the relationships they developed with children of prostitutes who work the city's notorious red light district. Directors: Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman Stars: Kochi, Avijit Halder, Shanti Das A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century." Director: James Marsh A trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way. Director: Bill Condon After the death of Princess Diana , Queen Elizabeth II struggles with her reaction to a sequence of events nobody could have predicted. Director: Stephen Frears A politically charged epic about the state of the oil industry in the hands of those personally involved and affected by it. Director: Stephen Gaghan Based on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970's. Director: Kevin Macdonald A widower is determined to get to the bottom of a potentially explosive secret involving his wife's murder, big business, and corporate corruption. Director: Fernando Meirelles     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X   In 1959, Truman Capote learns of the murder of a Kansas family and decides to write a book about the case. While researching for his novel In Cold Blood, Capote forms a relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, who is on death row. Director: Bennett Miller A faded country music musician is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him. Director: Scott Cooper     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X   The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles , from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s. Director: Taylor Hackford Edit Storyline A documentary on the threat that climate change poses to the Earth - it's causes, effects and history and potential solutions to it. Presented by Al Gore through a lecture that he has given to audiences across the globe, plus through more introspective moments. Written by grantss We're all on thin ice. See more  » Genres: Rated PG for mild thematic elements | See all certifications  » Parents Guide: 30 June 2006 (USA) See more  » Also Known As: Eine unbequeme Wahrheit See more  » Box Office $367,311        (USA) (26 May 2006) Gross: In Spain Zapatero's socialist government bought 30,000 DVD copies for schools. See more » Goofs When Al Gore shows the slide of the ice core graph at the beginning of the movie (a


Who was automatically your first friend on MySpace?

Tom Has Finally Reached His MySpace Friend Limit | TechCrunch Tom Has Finally Reached His MySpace Friend Limit Posted The inventor of the Frisbee has died MySpace cofounder Tom Anderson supposedly begged to keep his job when the rest of the founding team was shown the door nine months ago. They kept him on, almost as a mascot. He was, after all, the first friend everyone had when signing up to MySpace. He lost his President title (now shared by Mike Jones and Jason Hirschhorn ). And he is rarely seen in the office. Still, MySpace insiders said he was important to have around as a tie to the old days. No more, it seems. Tom hasn’t actually signed in to MySpace since January 24, and his last status update was on Christmas day. But more striking is the fact that Tom is no longer automatically added as a new MySpace user’s first friend. Instead, a couple of days ago, new users were simply given “ MySpace Today ” as their first friend. I’m guessing Tom’s days as an employee of MySpace are numbered. 0


Russian tanks move toward South Ossetia's capital For the best possible illustration of why Islamic terrorism may one day be considered the least of our problems, look no further than the BBC's split-screen coverage of Friday's Olympics opening ceremony. On one side, fireworks sparkled, and thousands of exotically dressed Chinese dancers bent their bodies into the shape of doves, the cosmos, and so on. On the other side, gray Russian tanks were shown rolling into South Ossetia, a rebel province of Georgia. The effect was striking: Two of the world's rising powers were strutting their stuff. The difference, of course, is that one event has been in rehearsal for years while the other, if not a total surprise, was not actually scheduled to take place this week. And that, too, is significant. The Chinese challenge to Western power has been a long time coming, and it is, in a certain sense, predictable. As a rule, the Chinese do not make sudden moves, and they do not try to provoke crises. Advertisement Russia, by contrast, is an unpredictable power, which makes a response more difficult. In fact, Russian politics have now become so utterly opaque that it is not easy to say why this particular "frozen" conflict has escalated right now. Russian sources said that Georgia had launched an invasion of South Ossetia, aiming to pacify the breakaway region. Georgia, meanwhile, said that its troops entered the South Ossetian "capital" in response to escalating South Ossetian attacks, which have been going on for a week—years, really—as well as the Russian aerial bombardment of Georgian territory. But there are other players involved—paramilitaries, provocateurs, even peacekeepers, some of whom (Russians) have apparently been killed—and a complicated chain of events with myriad possible interpretations. Previous tensions—both in South Ossetia and Abkhazia , the other piece of Georgia that has declared sovereignty—had somehow been resolved without an actual war. Someone, clearly, wanted this one to go further. Both sides have deeper motives for fighting. The Russians have an interest in preventing Georgia from joining NATO, as Georgia, a Western-oriented democracy—George Bush called the country a " beacon of liberty "—has long wanted to do. In this, the Russians will almost certainly succeed. There is no Western power that has any interest in a military ally that is involved in a major military conflict with Russia. The Georgian leadership, by contrast, had come to believe that the constant pressure of Russian aggression, coupled with the West's failure to accept Georgia into NATO, compelled them to demonstrate "self-reliance." Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has been buying weapons in preparation for this moment. Those who know him say he believed a military conflict was inevitable but could be won if conducted cleverly. As of Friday night, with Russian soldiers fighting in South Ossetia—only a few dozen miles from Tblisi, the Georgian capital—it seems as if he might have miscalculated, badly. Russia has not sent 150 tanks across that border in order to lose. Advertisement Still, the bottom line is this: Georgia should have stepped back from the brink—and should still do so if it has a chance—but Russia's deployment of such a large and carefully prepared force, not only in South Ossetia but in the rest of Georgia, is totally unacceptable. And the other indisputable conclusion? Wherever the blame for this week's escalation is finally laid, the West has very little influence on the outcome. Saakashvili's appeals for help and moral support—"This is not about Georgia," he told CNN , "it is about America, its values"—aren't going to come to much unless Russia wants them to. Everyone is trying very hard, it is true: Even as I am writing this, a dozen or more diplomats and heads of state are crowding the telephone lines between Beijing and the Caucasus, * trying to get both sides to stop fighting, right now, and to worry later about who started it. Perhaps they'll succeed—or perhaps those who wanted this battle to start also want it to


What British graffiti artist gained worldwide fame?

Banksy | artnet | Page 3 × Biography Banksy is a British street artist and activist who, despite worldwide fame, has maintained anonymity. Although details of the artist’s life are largely unknown, it is thought that Banksy was born in Bristol around 1974, and started with a career in the city as a graffiti artist. Banksy’s work acts as visual cultural criticism and commentary, with established social and political agendas serving as targets for a unique style of illustration made using stencils and spray paint. Banksy’s work is largely site-specific, often with an element of multi-media or performance as an accompaniment; Better Out Than In, Banksy’s month-long residency in New York during October 2013, featured a man selling the artist’s paintings for $60 each near Central Park. In 2015, Banksy opened Dismaland Bemusement Park, a temporary art exhibition that functioned as a theme park. After a 36-day run, its workers and materials were sent to the Calais migrant camp to build additional housing. Banksy lives and works in England. Related Categories


What city had the world's tallest building from 2004 until 2010?

History of the world's tallest buildings - seattlepi.com History of the world's tallest buildings By AUBREY COHEN, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF Published 8:49 pm, Wednesday, June 20, 2012 In the first 31 years of the 20th century, seven buildings became the world's tallest. We entered a new era of such one-upsmanship in 1998, with completion of the Petronas Towers in  Kuala Lumpur. The latest news comes from China's Broad Group, which has made a name erecting buildings quickly and efficiently using modular construction. It plans to claim the title with the 2,749-foot Sky City One tower in its hometown of Changsha, the capital of Hunan provice. In a written summary, Broad said it started the project in April, plans to start installing pre-fabricated buidling sections in November and expects to finish in January 2013. That's just three months on site. The news got us wondering which buildings have held the title of world's tallest. See the gallery above for the answer, going back to 1901, along with some tidbits from Seattle. Thanks to Emporis for the data. Read more real estate news . Visit seattlepi.com's home page for more Seattle news . Photo: Broad Group Close Image 1 of 29 Broad Group's proposed 2,749-foot Sky City One tower is depicted in this image from a 2010 planning file. Broad Group's proposed 2,749-foot Sky City One tower is depicted in this image from a 2010 planning file. Photo: Broad Group Image 2 of 29 Broad Group's proposed 2,749-foot Sky City One tower is depicted, along with other tall towers, in this image from a 2010 planning file. Broad Group's proposed 2,749-foot Sky City One tower is depicted, along with other tall towers, in this image from a 2010 planning file. Photo: Broad Group Image 3 of 29 Now we go back to 1901, when Philadelphia City Hall was completed. At 548 feet, it was the tallest building in the world, but not the tallest structure. This photo is circa 1948. Now we go back to 1901, when Philadelphia City Hall was completed. At 548 feet, it was the tallest building in the world, but not the tallest structure. This photo is circa 1948. Photo: Three Lions, Getty Images Image 4 of 29 The Washington Monument, shown here during a civil rights march on Aug. 28, 1963, is 555.5 feet tall and was the world's tallest structure when it was completed in 1884. The Washington Monument, shown here during a civil rights march on Aug. 28, 1963, is 555.5 feet tall and was the world's tallest structure when it was completed in 1884. Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images Image 5 of 29 As an aside, this is architect Robert Mills' original design for the Washington Monument. According to the National Park Service , this plan "provided for a nearly-flat-topped obelisk surrounded by a circular colonnade on which would stand a statue of Washington in a chariot. Inside the colonnade, statues of thirty prominent Revolutionary War heroes would be displayed." Photo: Three Lions, Getty Images Image 6 of 29 The Washington Monument held its title for just four years, until the completion of the 984-foot Eiffel Tower, in Paris. The Washington Monument held its title for just four years, until the completion of the 984-foot Eiffel Tower, in Paris. Photo: London Stereoscopic Company, Getty Images Image 7 of 29 But the tallest-building mantle passed from Philadelphia to New York in 1908, with completion of the 612-foot Singer Building. The building was demolished in 1968. But the tallest-building mantle passed from Philadelphia to New York in 1908, with completion of the 612-foot Singer Building. The building was demolished in 1968. Photo: Topical Press Agency, Getty Images Image 8 of 29 The title stayed in New York for a while yet. Next came the 700-foot Metropolitan Life Tower, finished in 1909. The title stayed in New York for a while yet. Next came the 700-foot Metropolitan Life Tower, finished in 1909. Photo: Library Of Congress In 1913, the 792-foot Woolworth Building was completed. In 1913, the 792-foot Woolworth Building was completed. Photo: Edwin Levick, Getty Images Image 10 of 29 Here's a cool shot of the top of the Woolworth


What was the nickname of the Guantánamo Bay prison?

Inside Guantanamo Bay: We go behind bars in the world's most controversial prison - Mirror Online News Inside Guantanamo Bay: We go behind bars in the world's most controversial prison Reporter Sean Rayment and photographer Matt Sprake visited the US military detention centre in Cuba where terror suspects are held for years without trial  Share Walk on: The detainee known as 'The Pacer' inside Camp 6 at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. (Photo: Matt Sprake)  Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Deep inside the world’s most controversial prison a solitary inmate paces up and down like a caged animal, writes Sean Rayment in the Sunday People. The bearded Muslim constantly wears headphones and clicks prayer-beads while reciting lines from the Koran as he walks in a tight loop. His eyes seem devoid of life – and he is clearly mentally disturbed. His guards have dubbed him The Pacer because he never varies his step as he prowls the same stretch of bare concrete floor all day, every day. Two fellow inmates enter the large communal area where he trudges. But they completely ignore The Pacer and instead switch on a flat-screen TV mounted high above them on the wall. The pair – both shaven-headed but with long beards – chat away as they flick through the channels. But I can’t hear them because I’m on the other side of a two-way mirror in one of the network of detention centres for alleged terrorists at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Going inside: Sean Rayment at Camp 6 at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. (Photo: Matt Sprake) These three men are among 149 inmates from 21 countries trapped here in legal limbo for up to 13 years. More than half of them have been cleared for release. Yet they remain locked up with no immediate prospect of freedom – making them prisoners without hope. One of those men is Shaker Aamer, 45, a Saudi with the right to live in the UK because he married a Brit. The 45-year-old father of four was seized in Afghanistan in 2002 while working for an Islamic charity. Five years later he was cleared for release because there was no evidence to back up claims he was a leading light in Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda. But Aamer is convinced he’ll never walk free because he wants to be sent back to Britain and the US want him to be handed over to Saudi Arabia – where his supporters warn he will face abuse and detention. Home: A cell with inmate belongings including infamous orange jumpsuit and copy of Koran. (Photo: Matt Sprake) Until the issue is resolved Aamar, one of the longest-serving inmates, stays put in his cell. The prison complex, which President Barack Obama has vowed to close, is part of a huge US naval base. I spent four days there last week and discovered a surreal world of double-speak, gobbledegook, evasion and official silence. The base has the feel of small-town America – burger bars, an open-air cinema, an Irish pub, a coffee shop, a Jamaican restaurant, a beauty parlour and a radio station. Off-duty troops can go scuba-diving and sailing or fight mock battles at the Ground Zero paintball range. But just over the hill – and away from prying eyes – is the prison, made up of about ten “camps”. The inmates are said to include bomb-makers, terror financiers, bin Laden bodyguards and al-Qaeda commanders. Risks: Zak tells Sean Rayment he has been threatened (Photo: Matt Sprake) Yet none of the prisoners has been tried – which has hugely damaged the international standing of the US. America claims the regime at Guantanamo Bay – nicknamed Gitmo by the military – is transparent. But there was little hint of any openness when we were there. Photographer Matt Sprake and I were the first journalists to visit since the release last month of five terrorists in exchange for US Army Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, who spent five years in Taliban captivity after walking out of a US army base in Afghanistan. My first experience of being fobbed off came with Zak, a Jordanian employed as a cultural adviser to the guards. He refused to


The Official Website of Dan Brown Dan Brown Launches Inferno Experience Robert Langdon needs your help. Are you up to the task? Sony Entertainment, Google, and Dan Brown have teamed up to create puzzles for a three-week online experience, The Inferno Journey Through Hell. In it, players assist Robert Langdon in solving three puzzles per week that relate to Dante's Inferno. Dan calls the game "a plunge into the depths of hell using the Seven Deadly Sins as the ladder." Visit Journey Through Hell to uncover the mystery...and enter for a chance to win a trip to Italy. To learn more about the film, check out this article from USA Today . To stay up-to-date on the latest Dan Brown News, stay tuned to Dan's Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter pages. Dan Brown Announces New Novel Available September 26, 2017, the new novel, Origin, thrusts Robert Langdon into the dangerous intersection of humankind’s two most enduring questions. Global publishing phenomenon Dan Brown, author of the #1 international blockbusters Inferno and The Da Vinci Code, has written his latest Robert Langdon thriller titled Origin. Doubleday will release the novel in the U.S. and Canada on September 26, 2017 and it will also be available as an ebook and an audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio. Origin will be published simultaneously in the U.K. by Transworld Publishers, a division of Penguin Random House. Additionally, a U.S. Spanish language edition will be published by Vintage Español. The announcement was made today by Sonny Mehta, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Jason Kaufman, Vice President and Executive Editor at Doubleday, will edit the novel. In keeping with his trademark style, Brown interweaves codes, science, religion, history, art and architecture into this new novel. Origin thrusts Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon into the dangerous intersection of humankind’s two most enduring questions, and the earth-shaking discovery that will answer them. There are more than 200 million copies of Dan Brown’s books in print worldwide, and his novels have been translated into 56 languages. To learn more, stay tuned to Dan's Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter pages. Inferno Vlog#4 - Locations Go on location with the cast and crew of Inferno as they give you a glimpse of the historic locations behind Langdon's latest adventure. Go on location with the cast and crew of Inferno as they give you a glimpse of the historic locations behind Langdon's latest adventure. The film hits theaters internationally starting October 12th, followed by the U.S. premiere on October 28th. To stay up to date on the latest Inferno movie news, visit Dan's Facebook Page or the Movie's Official Twitter Page . Inferno Vlog#3 - Langdon's Superpower Robert Langdon’s superpower? Eidetic memory. Ron Howard discusses Langdon’s memory loss in this Vlog for the Inferno movie. Tom Hanks takes you behind the scenes to talk about Robert Langdon's superpower, eidetic memory, in today's vlog for the Inferno movie. The film hits theaters in internationally starting October 12th and in the U.S. on October 28th. To stay up to date on the latest Inferno movie news, visit Dan's Facebook Page or the Movie's Official Twitter Page . Dan discusses The Da Vinci Code - Young Adult Edition For more on what it is and why we believe in the importance of reaching young readers, watch this clip from an interview with Dan. The YA edition of The Da Vinci Code is available internationally. For more on what it is and why we believe in the importance of reaching young readers, watch this clip from an interview with Dan. Inferno Vlog#2 - Zobrist's Manifesto Dan and Ron take you behind the scenes to give you a glimpse of Zobrist's Manifesto. In the word's of Bertrand Zobrist, “It has always been this way. Death is followed by birth. To reach paradise, man must pass through inferno." Take a look behind the scenes, as Dan Brown and Ron Howard give you a glimpse of Zobrist's Manifesto. The film hits theaters internationally starting October 12th, followed by the U.S. premiere on


What were Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez known as collectively?

Inside Ben Affleck's Past Romances with Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow Pinterest Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Before settling down with Jennifer Garner , Ben Affleck was one of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors – and his romances with A-list beauties made headlines. When Affleck rose to stardom after winning his first Oscar for Good Will Hunting in 1997, the Boston native was in a relationship with high school girlfriend Cheyenne Rothman, with whom he still keeps in touch. But the actor soon began dating Gwyneth Paltrow after meeting her at a dinner thrown by studio mogul Harvey Weinstein. The pair went on to costar in the movies Shakespeare in Love and Bounce. The couple shared quick wit and a wicked sense of humor – but their relationship had its share of ups and downs. In January Paltrow told Howard Stern that while dating Affleck was fun, her parents did not approve. “He’s super intelligent and really, really talented and he’s funny,” she said. “But he wasn’t in a good place in his life to have a girlfriend.” At the time they were dating, Paltrow was little more blunt about his love of a good time. Teasing him on Good Morning America, she joked his perfect woman was “anything that serves cold beer in a bikini.” Still, they clearly enjoyed one another’s company. The pair broke up in 1999, but briefly reunited before finally ending things in 2000. But the GOOP mogul and Affleck remain pals. “I like him,” she told Stern. “I’m still friends with him.” Two years after breaking up with Paltrow, Affleck met Jennifer Lopez on the set of the mobster comedy Gigli, and the super couple known as Bennifer was born. The film went on to be one of Hollywood’s most famous flops – and the pair’s second movie together, 2004’s Jersey Girl, also tanked at the box office. But their off-screen relationship became a tabloid blockbuster. Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty The two stars got engaged in 2002 – Affleck gave Lopez a $2.5 million diamond engagement ring . He also underwent a makeover, ditching facial scruff and flannel shirts for slicked-back hair and Versace suits. But perhaps the most infamous moment in the couple’s high-profile relationship was Lopez’s “Jenny from the Block” music video, which featured Affleck in a tank top and shades as he massaged suntan lotion on the bikini-clad diva in a sequence the actor would live to regret. “In our culture, we get very much into short-handing people,” Affleck told Details in 2012. “And I got shorthanded as ‘that guy’: Jennifer Lopez, movies bombed, there he must be a sort of thoughtless, dilettante, solipsistic consumer, blah, blah, blah.” The pair planned to wed in an elaborate ceremony in Santa Barbara, California, on Sept. 14, 2003, but Affleck called off the festivities with four days’ notice because of “excessive media attention.” The couple officially announced a split a few months later. Affleck later called his year in the media glare as Lopez’s fiancé his “annus horribilis.” “I don’t think I had ever been heartbroken in that way before,” she later told VH1. “I had so many hopes and dreams on something.” Still, they found a way to make peace. Affleck told The Hollywood Reporter that he and the pop superstar occasionally “touch base,” and Lopez warmly congratulated Affleck when he won his Golden Globe for Argo in 2013. “I respect her,” he told THR. “I like her.” Ben Affleck Is ‘Devastated’ Over Divorce, ‘Really Tried to Save Their Marriage’: Source In the same interview, the star praised his wife, Garner, whom he began dating not long after the pair starred together in the failed action movie Daredevil in 2003. “She truly is kind,” he said. “She means no one any harm. She doesn’t have ill will for any person. She’s not competitive with other people. She’s not spiteful.” But after 10 years of marriage and three children, Affleck’s relationship with the woman who once described him as her “soul mate” also foundered. In the end, there were obstacles the relationship could not overcome. Says a Garner source: “They are two very different people.” Show


What thin Motorola phone was the best-selling clamshell phone of all time?

Is Motorola's iconic Razr V3 flip phone staging a comeback? - TechSpot TechSpot 16 comments TechSpot Few mobile devices are as iconic as Motorola’s Razr V3. Originally released in the third quarter of 2004, the impossibly thin flip phone was an instant hit in the pre-smartphone era. Motorola ultimately sold more than 130 million units, making it one of the best-selling mobile phones of all time. Now, it would appear as though Motorola is planning to reincarnate the popular clamshell. Motorola, now a Lenovo-owned company , recently posted a YouTube video described as a look back to the Razr days of yesterday. The clip depicts a high school hallway featuring the stereotypical groups of kids, all sporting a Razr flip phone. The video ends with the Motorola logo and a date: June 9, 2016. The date points to Lenovo Tech World , the company’s own tech conference that’ll take place in San Francisco. Just to clarify, the video doesn’t actually confirm that we’ll see a new Razr clamshell next month so everything at this point is pure speculation. That said, the general consensus around the web is that Lenovo may have updated the Razr to run Android on modern hardware. The clamshell form factor as-is would limit the amount of screen real estate and the physical buttons would also be out of place in today’s tech landscape. Regarding the latter, it’s possible that the new Razr may ditch the keypad for a second screen. Either way, we should know for sure in just a few short weeks.


Steve Jobs Always Dressed Exactly the Same. Here's Who Else Does Steve Jobs Always Dressed Exactly the Same. Here's Who Else Does {{article.article.images.featured.caption}} Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Full Bio The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. Loading ... Loading ... This story appears in the {{article.article.magazine.pretty_date}} issue of {{article.article.magazine.pubName}}. Subscribe Today marks the one-year anniversary of Steve Jobs ’ death. The late Apple co-founder was best known for his visionary leadership and innovation—but he was also known for his unvarying signature look. Unlike most corporate executives, who wear suits and ties, Jobs was committed to his chosen uniform of a black mock turtleneck, blue jeans and New Balance sneakers. Jobs wasn’t the first to go his own unusual yet unchanging way, and he certainly wasn’t the last. Others include fashion designer Michael Kors, Segway inventor Dean Kamen, and fictional character Pee-wee Herman. In Pictures: 18 Famous People Who Always Dress The Same William Arruda , a personal branding guru and author of Ditch. Dare. Do!, says this practice can be part of personal branding. “They wear what they wear because that's what they feel comfortable wearing,” he says. “When you wear something that just feels right, you are confident. And it is also great to have a trademark look. It makes you memorable and distinctive.” Others do it to be more efficient. Take Albert Einstein. It has been reported that the famous physicist bought several versions of the same grey suit because he didn’t want to waste brainpower on choosing an outfit each morning. Now—decades later—President Obama does the same. Michael Lewis wrote in a recent Vanity Fair article : You also need to remove from your life the day-to-day problems that absorb most people for meaningful parts of their day. “You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits,” [Obama] said. “I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.” He mentioned research that shows the simple act of making decisions degrades one’s ability to make further decisions. “Famous business people and politicians are known to be consistent with their wardrobe because it's their brand identity,” says Dan Schawbel , founder of Millennial Branding and author of Me 2.0. “It's who they are, how they want to represent themselves and make a statement. It's not about what you wear, but what you accomplish. [Mark] Zuckerberg, for instance, wears casual clothing because he represents the entire generation of young people who don't want to wear suits to work.” This week, the Facebook CEO told NBC's TODAY host Matt Lauer that he owns "maybe about 20" identical grey T-shirts. Zuckerberg said, "I mean, I wear the same thing every day, right? I mean, it's literally, if you could see my closet at home." We also found a number of notable people who wear all black, all white—or a combo of the two—all the time. Author and journalist Tom Wolfe began wearing his trademark white suits in 1962, while Johnny Cash’s all-black dress earned him the nickname “The Man In Black,” around the same time. “Consistency of all kinds is what builds brands,” Schawbel says. “People who wear the same thing, have a catch phrase or two, and associate with the same people are more memorable than those who don't. It says this is who I am and this is what I enjoy. I think it's a rather positive thing that helps people identify with them and allows them to just be themselves.”


"What ""fake mohawk"" hairstyle was worn by David Beckham?"

David Beckham Mohawk Hairstyle – Cool Men's Hair by suwarnaadi David Beckham Mohawk hairstyle David Beckham has worn several different hairstyles in recent years. One of the most popular, by far, was the Mohawk he wore during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Beckham Mohawk hair This style is achieved by shaving the sides and back of the head completely, leaving only short hair in a stripe in the center of the top of the head.


What American city was struck by a serial sniper in 2002?

Serial Sniper Sought in Missouri Interstate Highway Shootings Serial Sniper Sought in Missouri Interstate Highway Shootings By Michael Mullins   |   Thursday, 10 Apr 2014 08:13 AM Close       A   A    A serial sniper has been targeting motorists along stretches of Interstates 435 and 470 and around Kansas City, Mo., over the past month. Three drivers have been wounded in the 13 shootings. Two victims were reportedly shot in the legs while another was hit in the arm. No one has been killed. Ten of the 13 shootings have taken place in an area called the Three Trails Crossing, where three interstate highways intersect, OzarksFirst.com reported.  Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll The majority of the shootings reportedly occurred in the late afternoon or early evening. Though law enforcement is not ruling out the possibility that there are multiple shooters, authorities say they've found similarities in at least some of the 13 recent shootings, though they would not provide any further details. Kansas City police have asked the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for assistance in the investigation. The joint task force is presently offering a $7,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest in the case, ABC News reported . "I looked around and felt the pain in the back of my leg and then I came back around and looked at my door and I noticed there was, uh, bullets in my door," one of the victims who asked to be identified as Chris, told KMBC-TV . "I was only a couple blocks from my home, so I went home and proceeded to have my fiance call 911." "It's really scary to think that somebody is just out here with no regard to what could happen," added  Jennie Baugher, who recently found a bullet hole in her car. The sniper shootings are reminiscent of the Beltway sniper shootings of October 2002, when John Allen Muhammad and his then 17-year-old accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo killed 10 and wounded another three people at interstates around Washington, D.C. and in Virginia. Muhammad was executed by lethal injection in 2009, while Malvo is presently serving six life sentences. "Anytime you have a random shooter with no reason or mindset behind them that [is] just taking rounds and putting them into cars is causing a problem for everyone," Rich Marianos, a former ATF assistant director, told ABC News.


Who won 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics?

8 Gold Medals for Michael Phelps the Swimming Phenom - ABC News ABC News 8 Gold Medals for Michael Phelps the Swimming Phenom By MONICA NISTA Email He's done it again. Another gold, and another world record. Michael Phelps' gold medal hunt in Beijing ends as the swimming superstar leaves the Water Cube eight golds heavier, breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympics. Phelps already made history by matching Spitz's seven golds -- a feat previously achieved only once in the 112-year history of the modern Olympic Games -- and earning a $1 million bonus from Speedo for doing it. Now he's one-upped Spitz's record count, cementing his place as one of the best athletes of all time. Superman. Magical. The King. The Dolphin. The Fish. The Phenomenon. These are just some of the words being used to describe the face of the XXIX Summer Olympics in Beijing, Michael Phelps. 08-08-08 marked the beginning of the Beijing Olympics, and it will forever be remembered as Phelps' lucky number. Phelps won six golds in Athens four years ago, bringing his current career golds to the whopping number of 14. As if winning gold medals wasn't impressive enough, Phelps broke the world record in seven of the eight events he swam in Beijing, four of which he previously held. Two Close Calls In some of the most exciting races of the Summer Games, and arguably in swimming history, twice it seemed Phelps' quest was going to come up short. First in the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay when his teammate, the U.S. tri-captain and oldest member of the swimming crew, Jason Lezak, was losing to France's Alain Bernard in the anchor leg. Lezak beat Bernard in the last meter by eight-hundredths of a second -- the closest finish in the event's history. Lezak's finish, and fastest split in history, was up there with New York Giant David Tyree's Super Bowl catch earlier this year as one of the most heroic moments in sports history. The second nail-biter was Phelps' 100-meter butterfly. Phelps gave everyone a scare after hitting the wall seventh at the 50-meter mark and, still trailing Milorad Cavic of Serbia with five meters left in the race, he didn't seem like he was going to catch his rival. In the closest race a swimmer can achieve, Phelps beat Cavic by one-hundredth of a second with a quick half-stroke. The Serbians immediately filed a written protest to challenge the finish, but according to Cavic's Web site, he "had nothing to do with this filing," rather it was his Serbian Olympics committee and swimming staff who questioned the outcome. Cavic says he is "completely happy," and "there's nothing wrong with losing to the greatest swimmer there has ever been." Rowdy Gaines, former three-time Olympic gold medalist and NBC commentator at this year's Olympics, screamed in awe following Phelps' butterfly finish, "He gets it done again! He gets it done again!" Even Phelps' mom had two fingers held up because she believed her son finished second. When she looked at the scoreboard with her daughter seated beside her, and realized he won, a look of disbelief and nausea seemed to overcome her, so she took her seat. Phelps: The Making of a Legend The 23-year-old waterboy from Baltimore has been compared to golfing great Tiger Woods. Like Woods, he has perfected a craft like no other in the history of his sport. People want to be him. Sports scientists want to study him. And he does not like to lose. The relay that was swum by Aaron Peirsol (backstroke), Brendan Hansen (breastroke), Phelps (butterfly) and Lezak (freestyle) with a time of 3:29.34, beating out the Australian men and smashing the U.S.'s previous world record. The squad of Peirsol, Hansen, Ian Crocker and Lezak won the gold in Athens, so it was the U.S. team's race to lose. The Water Cube was packed Sunday morning to witness history in the making. "There are definitely more people here than any other session. For the entire meet, pretty much the last four rows of the media section have been empty. Not this one though!" USA Swimming's biomechanics coordinator Russell Mark told ABCNews.com


What internet service introduced #hashtags?

Hashtag History: When and What Started It? Hashtag History: When and What Started It? Individual ??by? ? misspixels ? Hashtags are now used regularly by millions of social media users, especially among members of the largest micro-blogging community Twitter. Many are curious what the very first hashtag was and how it spread quickly across the internet. A hashtag is created by online users to discuss specific events and relevant issues. These are categorically arranged so that other online users can easily search for the topic and participate in the conversation, no matter where they are in the world. Information is updated and shared by social media users. The First Hashtag Chris Messina, a social technology expert, is credited to have come up with the very first hashtag on Twitter. He first posted the hashtag #barcamp in August 2007. The whole tweet appeared like this: ?how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?? Messina came up with the hashtag with the purpose of gathering discussions and online exchanges regarding Barcamp, a technology unconference gathering activity that spans worldwide. His handle is @MrMessina . Since then, hashtags have spread to other social media sites and all over the internet to become one of the most widely used functions. According to reports, Evan Williams, Twitter founder, actually shared to Messina that he didn?t think that hashtags were going to be very popular because of their very technical approach. Messina said that IRC influenced this pioneering concept. Hashtags were rather common in IRC before Twitter came into existence and dominated the way people communicated online. Messina posted ?Whispering Tweets? on Twitter on August 25, 2007 with the idea of creating inner circles on the website. The goal was to provide users the proper restrictions that would limit conversations to more specific ones that would only relate to a particular audience. He shared how tweets should target certain members of the inner circle so that people can easily respond to these. Creating the inner circles would also lead to targeted users and avoid random visits from individuals who may not be truly interested in a particular issue or topic. Hashtags Today Today, hashtags are created by several social media experts, educators, institutions and major companies from all around the world to bring in more followers and increase brand recognition. You can check how well a hashtag is doing by exposing it to analytics tools that will tell you how many tweets are being made with it, how many impressions it is making online, who are talking about it, what other hashtags are being used and what people are saying exactly. These have shown to be one of the most useful features on Twitter and other social media platforms to bring in relevant audiences that will help spread information about related products and services. Hashtags or chats are regularly held to keep targeted audiences informed and for companies to get actual feedback. Related Articles You May Enjoy


What brand of SUV was based on a military vehicle?

Humvee still made in America | Article | The United States Army Humvee still made in America By C. Todd LopezJune 3, 2009 Share via Email 1 / 1 Show Caption + Hide Caption – This Humvee prepares for a convoy mission inside the yard at Convoy Support Center Scania, Iraq, April 16. The military's Humvee is manufactured by AM General, an American company in South Bend, Ind. General Motor's decision to sell to a Chinese manufacturer their Hummer brand of vehicles, which shares a common background with the Humvee, will not affect where the Humvee is made. (Photo Credit: Spc. Kiyoshi C. Freeman) VIEW ORIGINAL WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 3, 2009) -- The military's High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, also known as a "HMMWV" or a "Humvee," will continue to be made in the United States, by an American-owned company. The recent announcement that Detroit-based General Motors will sell their Hummer brand of vehicles to Chinese-based Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company, has no bearing on the U.S. military's Humvee. "The Army's Humvee and the civilian Hummer look similar and share a common appearance," said spokesman Lt. Col. Martin Downie. "But the rights to produce those two different vehicles are no longer owned by the same company." Humvee manufacturer AM General is an American company based in South Bend, Ind. The company produced the first 55,000 Humvees for the Army in 1985. The company continues today to produce the Humvee for the military. In the early 1990s, AM General began producing a civilian version of the Humvee, calling it a "Hummer." But by the late 1990s, AM General had sold the Hummer name to General Motors. While GM will sell the Hummer nameplate to Sichuan Tengzhong, the military's Humvee, its designs, unique performance capabilities and technologies will continue to be owned by, and the vehicle produced by, AM General. TOP STORIES


What technology defeated its rival HD-DVD?

Sony's Blu-Ray wins HD DVD battle | Media | The Guardian Sony's Blu-Ray wins HD DVD battle Tuesday 19 February 2008 07.36 EST First published on Tuesday 19 February 2008 07.36 EST Share on Messenger Close Sony's Blu-Ray has finally won the battle of the high-definition DVD formats with Toshiba announcing it is to axe its rival HD DVD technology. The final blow to HD DVD came last week when US retail giant Wal-Mart announced it would only stock Sony's Blu-Ray format. Toshiba's president and chief executive, Atsutoshi Nishida, said today that after a thorough review of its strategy, the company had decided a swift end to the format war would help the HD market. "We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop," he said. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high-definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality." The two formats have been battling for the growing high-definition share of the £12.3bn a year global home DVD market. High-definition DVDs offer improved visuals and sound, but also make it harder for content to be illegally copied and pirated. Sony has had the upper hand for some time because its PlayStation 3 games console has a built-in Blu-Ray player. Sony has sold more than 10m Blu-Ray units while only about 1m HD DVD players have been sold, mostly in Japan. Last month Warner Bros, the world's largest DVD producer, announced it would only release in Blu-Ray, while Disney, MGM, Sony Pictures and Fox have also dumped HD DVD. · To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email editor@mediatheguardian.com or phone 020 7239 9857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 7278 2332. · If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".


ABCNEWS.com : Presidency Hinges on Chad ABCNEWS.com Nov. 12  Who will be the next president of the United States? Chad may decide.      What is chad? It is the tiny scored portion of a paper ballot that voters punch out using a small stylus to indicate their preference for a candidate. If a chad is punched completely out of the card, counting machines register each hole as a vote. But sometimes the tiny pieces of paper stay partially or completely stuck to the ballots  which may make it impossible for machines to read them.      Hence, the controversial recount of thousands of ballots in several Florida counties that could decide who wins the presidential election.      There are a half dozen different varieties of chad, including pregnant chads, dimpled chads, tri chads, swinging door chads and, of course, hanging door chads.      A hanging door chad, for example, has one corner still attached to the ballot. A dimpled chad is indented, but still fully attached.      Chads were punched and partially punched all across the nation on Election Day, as several states use the punch-card voting system. But Floridian chads are particularly pertinent as election officials prepare to recount by hand, one-by-one, the more than 400,000 ballots cast in Palm Beach County. Much Ado About Counting That manual recount is set to begin Monday, but the chad controversy reared its head on Saturday as the county canvassing board tallied votes from four sample Palm Beach County precincts.      Florida election statutes state that, in a recount, the canvassing boars should try to discern the intent of the voter, when considering questionable ballots  but it does not specify how.      The question is, what do you do? Does the chad have to be punched all the way out? Do you look at a dimple  is that enough? Leon St. John, a Palm Beach County attorney explained Saturday. Its within the discretion of the canvassing board.      In 1990, the Palm Beach County canvassing board adopted a procedure stating that a fully attached chad, bearing only an indentation, should not be counted as a vote, while a partially punched chad should be counted.      So, in the morning, it was decided that a ballot would be counted as a valid vote if at least one corner of a chad had been punched. But midway through the painstaking process, the canvassing board decided to go with the light test. Officials then began holding questionable ballots up to the light in order to determine their validity. Apparently, the test they were applying was if you could see light, explained St. John.      If light shined through, it was counted as a vote; if there was no light, it wasnt counted. It seemed a simple enough standard, but the problem with the light test is that a ballot with a chad that has only one corner detached may not allow any light through, even though, by the original standard, it should be counted as a vote.      They  decided to not go with the light test, but to go with the test thats reflected on the procedures where, if one of the four corners of the chad is detached, then that will be a vote, explained St. John. But what about the hundreds of ballots that were already subjected to the light test?      They are going to go back and go through the stack of the questioned ballots from the first batch, St. John said last night. And so they did. And at around 2 a.m. ET, the new tallies for the four precincts were announced, adding 14 votes to George W. Bushs original total and 33 to Al Gores. That discrepancy prompted the canvassing board to vote 2 to 1 in favor of ordering a recount for the full county.      Win lose or draw, joked former Sen. Alan Simpson, a Bush supporter, the people of America sure as hell better wonder about the sunlight test and how many dangled and how many hung and how may got pimpled or how many were pregnant and gave birth. Palm Beach Recount Guidelines Chad: The scored portion of a ballot card that is punched out when a voter casts a vote. Hanging Door Chad: One corner is still attached to the ballot. (Cou


What Houston energy company went bankrupt due to massive accounting fraud?

The 10 Worst Corporate Accounting Scandals of All Time Tweet Share this infographic on your site!
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Source: Accounting-Degree.org The 10 Worst Corporate Accounting Scandals of All Time If there is one theme to rival terrorism for defining the last decade-and-a-half, it would have to be corporate greed and malfeasance. Many of the biggest corporate accounting scandals in history happened during that time. Here's a chronological look back at some of the worst examples. Waste Management Scandal (1998) Company: Houston-based publicly traded waste management company What happened: Reported $1.7 billion in fake earnings. Main players: Founder/CEO/Chairman Dean L. Buntrock and other top executives; Arthur Andersen Company (auditors) How they did it: The company allegedly falsely increased the depreciation time length for their property, plant and equipment on the balance sheets. How they got caught: A new CEO and management team went through the books. Penalties: Settled a shareholder class-action suit for $457 million. SEC fined ArthurAndersen $7 million. Fun fact: After the scandal, new CEO A. Maurice Meyers set up an anonymous company hotline where employees could report dishonest or improper behavior. Enron Scandal (2001) Company: Houston-based commodities, energy and service corporation What happened: Shareholders lost $74 billion, thousands of employees and investors lost their retirement accounts, and many employees lost their jobs. Main players: CEO Jeff Skilling and former CEO Ken Lay. How they did it: Kept huge debts off balance sheets. How they got caught: Turned in by internal whistleblower Sherron Watkins; high stock prices fueled external suspicions. Penalties: Lay died before serving time; Skilling got 24 years in prison. The company filed for bankruptcy. Arthur Andersen was found guilty of fudging Enron's accounts. Fun fact: Fortune Magazine named Enron "America's Most Innovative Company" 6 years in a row prior to the scandal. WorldCom Scandal (2002) Company: Telecommunications company; now MCI, Inc. What happened: Inflated assets by as much as $11 billion, leading to 30,000 lost jobs and $180 billion in losses for investors. Main player: CEO Bernie Ebbers How he did it: Underreported line costs by capitalizing rather than expensing and inflated revenues with fake accounting entries. How he got caught: WorldCom's internal auditing department uncovered $3.8 billion of fraud. Penalties: CFO was fired, controller resigned, and the company filed for bankruptcy. Ebbers sentenced to 25 years for fraud, conspiracy and filing false documents with regulators. Fun fact: Within weeks of the scandal, Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, introducing the most sweeping set of new business regulations since the 1930s. Tyco Scandal (2002) Company: New Jersey-based blue-chip Swiss security systems. What happened: CEO and CFO stole $150 million and inflated company income by $500 million. Main players: CEO Dennis Kozlowski and former CFO Mark Swartz. How they did it: Siphoned money through unapproved loans and fraudulent stock sales. Money was smuggled out of company disguised as executive bonuses or benefits. How they got caught: SEC and Manhattan D.A. investigations uncovered questionable accounting practices, including large loans made to Kozlowski that were then forgiven. Penalties: Kozlowski and Swartz were sentenced to 8-25 years in prison. A class-action lawsuit forced Tyco to pay $2.92 billion to investors. Fun fact: At the height of the scandal Kozlowski threw a $2 milli


What lifestyle expert was convicted of insider trading?

Martha Stewart Convicted on All Four Counts | Fox News Martha Stewart Convicted on All Four Counts Published        March 08, 2004 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Email Print NEW YORK –  Martha Stewart was convicted Friday of obstructing justice and lying to the government about a superbly timed stock sale — a devastating verdict that probably means prison for the woman who epitomizes meticulous homemaking and gracious living. Stewart, 62, grimaced and her eyes widened slightly upon hearing the verdict, and she later released a statement maintaining her innocence and promising an appeal. The convictions jeopardize the media empire that Stewart carefully built over the years in becoming the nation's premier homemaker — an image she put forth by way of magazines, TV programs and everything from cookie cutters and garlic presses to bedsheets and pillows. Martketing experts have said that the company is so closely tied to her name and face that the effect could be devastating. The government now may press to have her removed from the board of her company. She stepped down as chief executive after being indicted last summer but remains as chief creative officer. Stewart was found guilty of conspiracy, making false statements and obstruction of justice. The charges carry up to 20 years in prison at sentencing June 17, but she will most certainly get much less than that under federal sentencing guidelines. Her ex-stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic ( search ), 41, was convicted of conspiracy, perjury, making a false statement and obstruction of justice, but was acquitted of making a false document. "Maybe it's a victory for the little guys who lose money in the market because of these kinds of transactions," said juror Chappell Hartridge. Stewart left the courtroom with a somber expression, and she did not speak to anyone at the defense table before going to a holding room away from the media. She and Bacanovic must report to a probation office within a week for processing. Stewart spent most of her last hour before the verdict checking her watch and twirling a pen in her fingers. Her daughter, Alexis Stewart ( search ), was in tears after the verdict. "I am obviously distressed by the jury's verdict but I continue to take comfort in knowing that I have done nothing wrong," Stewart said in a statement on her Web site. The jury of eight women and four men reached the verdicts on the third day of deliberations in the case. Stewart's conviction came on a volatile day of trading in her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia ( MSO ). The stock shot up on word of a verdict, then trading was briefly halted. The stock plummeted after trading resumed. The charges centered on why Stewart dumped about $228,000 worth of ImClone Systems ( IMCL ) stock on Dec. 27, 2001, just a day before it was announced that the Food and Drug Administration had rejected ImClone's application for approval of a cancer drug. The announcement sent ImClone's stock plummeting. Stewart and Bacanovic claimed they had a standing agreement to sell when the price fell below $60. But the government contended that was a phony cover story and that Stewart sold because she was tipped by her broker that ImClone CEO Sam Waksal ( search ) was frantically trying to dump his own holdings. Waksal later admitted selling his stock based on advance word of the FDA decision. He is serving seven years in prison for insider trading. Stewart, who averted more than $51,000 in losses by selling when she did, was not charged with insider trading; instead, she and her broker were accused of lying about the transaction and altering records to support the alleged cover story. Stewart was easily the most recognizable face in the government crackdown on corporate crime that began with the collapse of Enron in 2001. Stewart's supporters claim she was being targeted because of her celebrity status. The government's star witness was Douglas Faneuil ( search ), a former Merrill Lynch & Co. ( MER ) assistant who said he passed the tip about Waksal to Stewart on orders from his boss, Bacanovic. Faneuil said


What primitive mapping website was popular before the introduction of Google Maps?

Google’s Road Map to Global Domination - The New York Times The New York Times Magazine |Google’s Road Map to Global Domination Search Google’s Road Map to Global Domination By ADAM FISHER Continue reading the main story Photo Luc Vincent, the man in charge of all the imagery in Google's online maps, next to a Trekker. Credit Dan Winters for The New York Times Fifty-five miles and three days down the Colorado River from the put-in at Lee’s Ferry, near the Utah-Arizona border, the two rafts in our little flotilla suddenly encountered a storm. It sneaked up from behind, preceded by only a cool breeze. With the canyon walls squeezing the sky to a ribbon of blue, we didn’t see the thunderhead until it was nearly on top of us. I was seated in the front of the lead raft. Pole position meant taking a dunk through the rapids, but it also put me next to Luc Vincent, the expedition’s leader. Vincent is the man responsible for all the imagery in Google’s online maps. He’s in charge of everything from choosing satellite pictures to deploying Google’s planes around the world to sending its camera-equipped cars down every road to even this, a float through the Grand Canyon. The raft trip was a mapping expedition that was also serving as a celebration: Google Maps had just introduced a major redesign, and the outing was a way of rewarding some of the team’s members. Vincent wore a black T-shirt with the eagle-globe-and-anchor insignia of the United States Marine Corps on his chest and the slogan “Pain is weakness leaving the body” across his back. Though short in stature, he has the upper-body strength of an avid rock climber. He chose to get his Ph.D. in computer vision, he told me, because the lab happened to be close to Fontainebleau — the famous climbing spot in France. While completing his postdoc at the Harvard Robotics Lab, he led a successful expedition up Denali, the highest peak in North America. A Frenchman who has lived half his 49 years in the United States, Vincent was never in the Marines. But he is a leader in a new great game: the Internet land grab, which can be reduced to three key battles over three key conceptual territories. What came first, conquered by Google’s superior search algorithms. Who was next, and Facebook was the victor. But where, arguably the biggest prize of all, has yet to be completely won. Continue reading the main story Where-type questions — the kind that result in a little map popping up on the search-results page — account for some 20 percent of all Google queries done from the desktop. But ultimately more important by far is location-awareness, the sort of geographical information that our phones and other mobile devices already require in order to function. In the future, such location-awareness will be built into more than just phones. All of our stuff will know where it is — and that awareness will imbue the real world with some of the power of the virtual. Your house keys will tell you that they’re still on your desk at work. Your tools will remind you that they were lent to a friend. And your car will be able to drive itself on an errand to retrieve both your keys and your tools. Advertisement Continue reading the main story While no one can say exactly how we will get from the current moment to that Jetsonian future, one thing for sure can be said about location-awareness: maps are required. Tomorrow’s map, integrally connected to everything that moves (the keys, the tools, the car), will be so fundamental to their operation that the map will, in effect, be their operating system. A map is to location-awareness as Windows is to a P.C. And as the history of Microsoft makes clear, a company that controls the operating system controls just about everything. So the competition to make the best maps, the thinking goes, is more than a struggle over who dominates the trillion-dollar smartphone market; it’s a contest over the future itself. Google was relatively late to this territory. Its map was only a few months old when it was featured at Tim O’Reilly’s inaugural Where 2.0 conference in 20


Who died from a sting ray attack in 2006?

'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin dies in stingray attack - World - CBC News 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin dies in stingray attack CBC News Posted: Sep 04, 2006 8:14 AM ET Last Updated: Sep 04, 2006 6:43 PM ET Steve Irwin, 44, was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchword 'Crikey!' in his television program, Crocodile Hunter. Steve Irwin, the man known around the world as the "Crocodile Hunter," has died in a stingray attack off the Great Barrier Reef. Irwin, 44, had been filming a documentary off Port Douglas in northern Queensland when he was killed by a stingray barb through the heart. He was rushed to hospital by helicopter, but he died en route. His documentary producer and longtime friend John Stainton was with him when he died. "The world has lost a great wildlife icon, a passionate conservationist and one of the proudest dads on the planet," Stainton told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. "He left this world in a peaceful and happy state of mind. He would have said, 'Crocs rule.'" Irwin and a cameraman were snorkelling in shallow water when the intrepid animal-lover swam over the stingray, which then stuck out the barb, Stainton said, adding he believed his friend died instantly. Irwin was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchword "Crikey!" in his television program Crocodile Hunter. First broadcast in Australia in 1992, the program was picked up by the Discovery network, catapulting Irwin to international fame. Carmel Robertson, with the Australian Broadcasting Corp., told CBC News that Australians are in shock. "People can't believe that the man they thought was quite invincible is dead," she said. 'Wonderful and colourful son' Stingrays have a toxin-loaded spine on the top of their tail. Stings, while painful,are rarely fatal according to Shaun Collin,a University of Queensland marine scientist. Collin said he suspected Irwin died because the barb pierced his heart. "It was extraordinarily bad luck," Collin said. Australian Prime Minister John Howard has expressed his condolences to Irwin's family, and said the country had lost a "wonderful and colourful son." 'I feel very distressed and I'm quite upset.' —Australian PM John Howard "He was the genuine article, what you saw was what you got: He took risks, he enjoyed life, but he brought immense joy to millions of people, particularly to children, and it's just such a terrible loss and I feel very distressed and I'm quite upset." Queensland Premier Peter Beattie told ABC News online in Australia that officials were considering holding a state funeral for Irwin but were waiting to discuss arrangements with his family. CNN reported on Monday evening that online tribute sites for Irwin were becoming overloaded and that many sites were crashing as people around the world tried to log on. Irwin made news headlines in 2004 after involving his infant son in one of his crocodile stunts. Irwin held his son Bob, who was a month old at the time, in one arm while he dangled a piece of chicken over the snapping jaws of a four-metre crocodile. Escaped charges He later acknowledged that he should have done things differently and officials in Australia's Queensland state decided not to file charges against him. Irwin's love for all things crawling began in 1970 when his reptile-loving father opened a small reptile park in Brisbane, Queensland. In 1991, Irwin took over the family business and launched his Crocodile Hunter television program a year later. Mourners have laid flowers at the entrance to Irwin's Australia Zoo. "It was like hearing of the death of a really great friend," Lesley Manks told The Australian newspaper. "It's hard ... it's hit home," said Manks, whoonce met the famous crocodile hunter. Irwin is survived by his American-born wife Terri, their daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob. The couple met when she went on vacation in Australia in 1991. She co-starred on her husband's television show and in his 2002 movie.


Red Bull Settlement: Beverage Doesn’t ‘Give You Wings’ After All Red Bull Settlement: Beverage Doesn’t ‘Give You Wings’ After All David Cornell The phrase “Red Bull gives you wings” has resulted in a false advertising Red Bull settlement. The company behind the beverage has agreed to reimburse more than $6 million to consumers who purchased the energy drink while the company used the slogan. When the advertising slogan “Red Bull gives you wings” was being used, it wasn’t indicating that you would literally grow wings. If it did, the beverage would undoubtedly be a secret government project being developed for experimental military applications, not a publicly accessible energy drink . What the slogan was attempting to imply was that it was a more effective source of caffeine than an average cup of coffee. The actual meaning behind the slogan was also proven false. A 7-ounce cup of drip coffee, on average, contains approximately 115 to 175 milligrams of caffeine, while an 8.4-ounce can of Red Bull contains only 80 milligrams of caffeine. The fallibility of not only the slogan, but what it really meant has resulted in a lawsuit, the result of which was the Red Bull settlement. Consumers who have purchased the beverage (hopefully you kept your receipts) will be sent either $10 or a $15 Red Bull product with free shipping. The following is a summary of the Red Bull lawsuit according to BevNet . “Such deceptive conduct and practices mean that [Red Bull’s] advertising and marketing is not just ‘puffery,’ but is instead deceptive and fraudulent and is therefore actionable. “Even though there is a lack of genuine scientific support for a claim that Red Bull branded energy drinks provide any more benefit to a consumer than a cup of coffee, the Red Bull defendants persistently and pervasively market their product as a superior source of ‘energy’ worthy of a premium price over a cup of coffee or other sources of caffeine.” Considering how many products marketed toward teenagers have made similar claims or indications, it is unknown whether other popular products could follow the Red Bull settlement. Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit had commercials with a song that claims the gum will “move you.” Several foods and drinks also featured cartoon characters on skateboards. Have you bought @RedBull since 2002? You’re entitled to $10 in a class action settlement. http://t.co/XL4af2Wjuj pic.twitter.com/hXdmZ40F6p — Ben (@BeerBrewin) October 6, 2014 According to Jezebel , primary Plaintiff Benjamin Careathers may have had a personal problem with the beverage when he decided to take Red Bull’s manufacturer to court. It was obvious to most consumers that the “wings” slogan was meant as a kind of joke. Unfortunately, the deeper meaning behind the slogan was what gave Careathers the edge he needed to make a solid case. Do you think “Red Bull gives you wings” was just a harmless slogan? Was the Red Bull settlement truly necessary?


"What version of poker was played at the ""World Series of Poker""?"

World Series of Poker – WSOP - Android Apps on Google Play World Series of Poker – WSOP Description Join millions around the world – Play the #1 poker app for FREE! The most prestigious poker brand raises the stakes with THE authentic poker experience on Android devices. Compete to win the ultimate prize in poker; your very own WSOP Bracelet! Do you have what it takes to become a champion? Key Features: ● FREE CHIPS EVERY 4 HOURS – Only at the World Series of Poker! ● WSOP BRACELETS – Fill up your Collectors’ Chip collections & win the most prestigious prize in poker; the WSOP Bracelet. ● TEXAS HOLD’EM TOURNAMENTS – Win multi-level Texas Hold’em tournaments to earn WSOP rings and climb the leaderboard! What’s more fun than being #1? ● EXCLUSIVE EVENTS – Return daily to experience new game modes, free chip events and more, for FREE! ● POKER STATISTICS – Improve your game with the most extensive stats’ tracking in any poker app! ● TEXAS HOLD’EM OR OMAHA – Your choice! ● PLAY LIVE WITH FRIENDS – Invite your friends to play and make it a poker night anytime, anywhere. ● CONTINUOUS PLAY – Start playing poker on your phone or tablet and continue on PlayWSOP.com or Facebook with the same bankroll. ● GUEST MODE – Rock the tables and play Texas Hold’em or Omaha anonymously. Don’t be afraid to bluff! ● FACEBOOK CONNECT BONUS – Pad your bankroll with $15,000 additional chips when you connect your account to Facebook. Start your journey to become a World Series of Poker VIP! ● SLOTS MINI-GAME – Spin and win chips in between hands with the slot machine. WE’D LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK! Connect with us on Facebook (http://bit.ly/WSOP_Fanpage) and on Twitter (http://bit.ly/TwitterWSOP). Call information is required to provide you with the ultimate customer support! This product is intended for use by those 21 or older for amusement purposes only. Practice or success at social casino gaming does not imply future success at real money gambling. This product does not offer real money gambling or an opportunity to win real money or prizes. Read more 1 26,851 Andrew Vincent Good for passing the time. However, keep in mind that odds have been altered from "real poker" to, apparently make the game more "exciting". For example, if you flop 4 to a flush, the odds are supposed to be 35% to get the 5th card to complete the flush however, the actual odds (in this game) apparently been altered to something like 10% or so. Well below what it should be. There are many more examples of the same sort of altering, but it's not real money we're playing for, so no need to "freak out", just play it for what it's for.😉 John Swaim #1 For a reason. Now it's much easier to control your betting. No time lags either since I upgraded my phone. I Must play every day. The bonuses, and sometimes even the mega bonus, are skimpy, but this app is clean. And now it's much easier to collect chips from friends. you can collect from ALL your friends too... None of that, "You've reached your daily limit" crap anymore! Stats and gifts and friends make it a top-notch Texas Hold 'em app. robert haag Challenging Only one thing, too many people just dont get the game. Would be more fun without the "all in" crowd. They just do it blindly and dont put any thought to the strategy of the game. I see high level players with no money. I like to be in games that make.you think and really play the game. Its not that i don't think going all in is not a necessity, but to be used as a part of the strategy. Dont worry I'm not a game complainer, but just want true card poker players. germzz tailzzz Play smart One thing i have noticed is when the game calls for an update make srue u update. I played for a week straight didnt win one game,till i noticed i needed an update. Second this game is good, but u have to play tournaments not the other bs. The tournament layout is good and thats all i ever play tonget rings only time i enter any other room is cause i need chips to enter in a tourny. Dean Baker The game pay is good The only down fall is, the app allows people to play higher on lower skill se


What British company made vacuum cleaners, hand dryers, and bladeless fans?

Dyson Topics Dyson Dyson Ltd is a British technology company, founded in 1993 by James Dyson, which designs and manufactures vacuum cleaners, hand dryers, bladeless fans and heaters. It sells machines in over 50 countries and employs 3,100 people worldwide. The company prides itself on engineering products which work in different and better ways than their predecessors. Dyson’s founder, James Dyson, famously created 5,127 prototypes of his first machine, the vacuum cleaner, in a workshop behind his house, before developing one that he considered worked perfectly, the DC01. In 1971, Dyson discovered a number of problems with the conventional wheelbarrow he was using while renovating his property. He found that the wheel sunk into the mud, was unstable and was prone to punctures; the steel body caused damage to paint work and became covered with dried cement. These problems got James thinking about improvements, and by 1974 James had a fibreglass prototype of a barrow with a ball instead of a wheel. The...


"On what website could you sell your couch, find an apartment, or have a ""casual encounter""?"

Craigslist’s Casual Encounters Section Draws Sexual Risk Takers Through Anonymity - The New York Times The New York Times Fashion & Style |Recklessly Seeking Sex on Craigslist Search Recklessly Seeking Sex on Craigslist By DOUGLAS QUENQUA Credit Matthew Peyton for The New York Times THIS is it, Melvin thought: Craigslist is about to get me killed. A recent divorcé who lacked the money and confidence for a conventional date, Melvin, 35, had been lured to a stranger’s apartment by the promise of anonymous sex. He had already done this at least a dozen times, using classified ads he had placed on the Casual Encounters section of Craigslist.com, with no problems. But this time, all he found was a dark, scary room. “I was like, ‘Oh no, this is it — this woman is going to kill me,’ ” he recalled. Luckily for Melvin, what he had wandered into was something a bit more poignant: the woman who had answered his ad was obese and didn’t want Melvin to see her body. “It was sad, very sad,” he said, “but she was a nice girl and we talked for two hours before we went in the bedroom and did what we did.” Continue reading the main story This is probably not the hedonistic situation most people envision when they think about Internet hookups. Nor was it a violent encounter that makes headlines, like the murder on April 14 in a Boston hotel room of a 26-year-old woman, Julissa Brisman, who had placed an ad for masseuse services on Craigslist, or the killing last month of George Weber, a radio news reporter who was stabbed in his Brooklyn home, police say, by a teenager who apparently answered a Craigslist ad seeking a sexual partner. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Reactions to Mr. Weber’s murder among a number of people who regularly use Craigslist in search of casual sex ranged from mildly concerned to indifferent. Melvin called it a “shame” and reiterated his safety policy, adopted after his close call with the obese woman in her darkened apartment. “That’s why I’m always cautious, always meet in public,” he said. Michael, 34, a straight man who lives in Midtown Manhattan and who has been using the Casual Encounters board on Craigslist for five years, said, “In a city of eight million-plus, this sort of thing was bound to happen statistically.” Although sex is solicited online in many places — legally and otherwise — the Casual Encounters listings are a major hub, offering to do for casual sex what the rest of the site does for no-fee apartments, temp jobs and old strollers. Like bathhouses and sex clubs, the Casual Encounters section caters to the erotic underbelly of society, where courtship gives way to expediency and anonymity is a virtue (or at least a turn-on). The section was introduced in late 2000 and is available in all cities served by Craigslist, for users gay and straight, male and female. The ads range from prim to raunchy; a good number of people include photographs of precisely what they have to offer. (The site has a policy against posting pornographic pictures, but it does not seem to be enforced very vigorously.) In an exploration of the Casual Encounters world, more than 100 e-mail messages were sent to users requesting interviews before the recent murders. About a dozen frequent users, mostly men, consented to phone or e-mail interviews, some of which took place over the past three months. Two men, Michael and Melvin, were willing to meet with a reporter in person, as long as they were identified only by their name on Craigslist. A few women who had posted ads were also forthcoming, but none of the women who had replied to Michael’s or Melvin’s ads consented to an interview. Ads in the Casual Encounters section account for 2 percent of all Craigslist postings, according to the company. It also says that traffic to all the Craigslist personals sites — which include a separate one for romance and one for “missed connections,” where people try to find the cutie they flirted with on the L train — is higher than for any other online personals site, including Match.com, eHarmony and Yahoo personals. “Casu


What was the first social networking site to have 1 million members?

The History of Social Media | Digital Trends Denphumi/Shutterstock Long before it became the commercialized mass information and entertainment juggernaut it is today, long before it was accessible to the general public, and certainly many years before Al Gore claimed he “took the initiative in creating” it, the Internet – and its predecessors – were a focal point for social interactivity. Granted, computer networking was initially envisioned in the heyday of The Beatles as a military-centric command and control scheme. But as it expanded beyond just a privileged few hubs and nodes, so too did the idea that connected computers might also make a great forum for discussing mutual topics of interest, and perhaps even meeting or renewing acquaintances with other humans. In the 1970s, that process began in earnest. Related: Mullets reigned supreme in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s; computers were a far rarer commodity. Machine languages were bewildering, and their potential seemingly limited. What’s more, this whole sitting-in-front-of-a-keyboard thing was so… isolationistic. Put all this together and you have a medium where only the most ardent enthusiasts and techno-babbling hobbyists dared tread. It was, in effect, a breeding ground for pocket-protector-wearing societal rejects, or nerds. Boring, reclusive nerds at that. Yet it also was during this time, and with a parade of purportedly antisocial geeks at the helm, that the very gregarious notion of social networking would take its first steps towards becoming the omnipresent cultural phenomenon we know and love in 2014. BBS, AOL and CompuServe: The Infant Years “Put all this together and you have a medium where only the most ardent enthusiasts and techno-babbling hobbyists dared tread.” It started with the BBS. Short for Bulletin Board System, these online meeting places were effectively independently-produced hunks of code that allowed users to communicate with a central system where they could download files or games (many times including pirated software) and post messages to other users. Accessed over telephone lines via a modem, BBSes were often run by hobbyists who carefully nurtured the social aspects and interest-specific nature of their projects – which, more often than not in those early days of computers, was technology-related. Moreover, long distance calling rates usually applied for out-of-towners, so many Bulletin Boards were locals-only affairs that in turn spurred local in-person gatherings. And voila, just like that, suddenly the antisocial had become social. The BBS was no joke. Though the technology of the time restricted the flexibility of these systems, and the end-user’s experience, to text-only exchanges of data that crawled along at glacial speed, BBSes continued to gain popularity throughout the ‘80s and well into the ‘90s, when the Internet truly kicked into gear. Indeed, some services – such as Tom Jennings’ FidoNet – linked numerous BBSes together into worldwide computer networks that managed to survive the Internet revolution. But there were also other avenues for social interaction long before the Internet exploded onto the mainstream consciousness. One such option was CompuServe, a service that began life in the 1970s as a business-oriented mainframe computer communication solution, but expanded into the public domain in the late 1980s. CompuServe allowed members to share files and access news and events. But it also offered something few had ever experienced – true interaction. Not only could you send a message to your friend via a newfangled technology dubbed “e-mail” (granted, the concept of e-mail wasn’t exactly newfangled at the time, though widespread public access to it was). You could also join any of CompuServe’s thousands of discussion forums to yap with thousands of other members on virtually any important subject of the day. Those forums proved tremendously popular and paved the way for the modern iterations we know today. But if there is a true precursor to today’s social networking sites, it was likely spawned under the AOL (Ame


What is the collective noun for a group of whales? | Reference.com What is the collective noun for a group of whales? A: Quick Answer The collective noun for a group of whales is a pod. Since many kinds of whales are social, they can often be found in pods made up of their relatives or even unrelated whales. Full Answer Whales that are most often seen in pods are toothed whales such as the killer whale. Killer whale pods are led by a matriarch who can live into her 80s or 90s. Their ways of hunting and interacting with each other are extremely sophisticated and complex. On the other hand, baleen whales such as blue whales are mostly solitary. The exception to this is a mother with her calf.


What micronation can be found along the French Riviera?

Things to Do in The French Riviera | Four Seasons Hotel Book Now Historic landmarks on the French Riviera Step back in time with a visit to Nice’s Old Town neighbourhood (Vieux Nice) to see the Baroque churches and pastel houses that haven’t changed much since the city belonged to the Kingdom of Sardinia in the 1700s. Take a quick 20-minute drive from the Hotel to the commune of Eze to admire one of the best-preserved French medieval villages, now filled with charming shops, art galleries and restaurants. The French Riviera is also home to remarkable forts, fortresses and castles. While in Eze, a hike up to Fort de la Revère will yield incredible views of the Mediterranean coast below and lead to a lovely picnic spot. History buffs should pay a visit to the star-shaped Fort Carré in Antibes, where Napoleon was briefly imprisoned during the French Revolution. Palais Princier de Monaco, on the historic Rock of Monaco, is the private residence of the ruling prince, but the State Apartments are briefly open for public visits part of the year. The 17th-century Palais Lascaris, in the heart of Vieux Nice, is a former aristocratic residence that has been transformed into a museum of ancient musical instruments. The French Riviera’s culinary scene From quaint cafés to high-end bistros, you’ll find an assortment of quality restaurants practically anywhere you go on the Riviera, particularly in Nice and Monaco. Gourmet French fare is on the menu at Bistrot d’Antoine and La Petite Maison  in Nice, and refreshing cocktails are served right on the beach at Cap d’Ail’s Eden Plage Mala Beach Club. Dine with the locals at Chez Pipo for authentic Niçoise specialties such as socca, pan bagnat, pissaladière and tapenade, or at Aphrodite  for modern, conceptual cuisine by renowned and visionary Chef David Faure. In Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, both Paloma Beach  and La Cabane de l’Ecailler  serve deliciously fresh seafood, while Michelin-starred Executive Chef Didier Aniès offers unique seasonal menus at the Hotel’s elegant gastronomic restaurant, Le Cap . Head to Paloma Beach for seafood dining al fresco and a great view of the Mediterranean. Photography courtesy Paloma Beach Designer shopping in Monaco, Nice and Cannes Luxury boutiques and shopping opportunities abound in nearby Monaco, Nice and Cannes. In Monaco, the new Monte-Carlo Pavilions , set up in the Boulingrins Gardens near the Place du Casino, is home to 20 designer shops housed in futuristic structures that stand out against the garden’s traditional Belle Époque architecture. The five spacious pavilions are the temporary home of luxury designers such as Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Chanel, Miu Miu and more during the area’s four-year renovation. In Nice, Le Carré d’Or, close to Jardins Albert 1er and Place Massena Square, has a concentration of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Lacoste and numerous other boutiques. In Cannes, you’ll find the most prestigious shops on La Croisette and Rue d’Antibes. Back at the Hotel, two boutiques are conveniently on-property: Purchase an elegant watch or piece of jewellery from Arije as a memorable keepsake from your trip, or stock up on fashionable swimsuits and other swim essentials at the Club Dauphin boutique. Scenic Riviera Breathtaking scenic views are common while visiting the Côte d’Azur, and some of the best vistas can be found on the corniche road between Nice and Monaco. In Eze, perch yourself on a rocky outcrop facing the sea for a spectacular panorama. Or take a scenic stroll along Chemin des Douaniers, a coastal pathway that links Beaulieu-sur-mer with Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and runs along the length of the cape as far as the bay of Villefranche-sur-mer. Cap Ferrat water sports Pack a picnic and set sail on the Mediterranean, where whale and dolphin watching is a favourite pastime. Photography Martin Morrell The peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is part of the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals, a protected marine area of 87,500 square kilometres (33,784 square miles) and thus a prime spot for whale and do