As many of you may have heard, Whitney Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hills hotel room on Saturday afternoon. After being found unconscious by a member of her entourage, hotel security contacted 911. Paramedics arrived and administered CPR but were unable to revive her. She was pronounced dead at 3:55 PM.
Autopsy reports of Houston’s body reveal that there was a certain amount of water in her lungs at the time of examination. This suggests there is a possibility she may have drowned. Other reports say she was drinking heavily the evening before her death and that she may also have been taking Xanax to relieve anxiety or depression. A combination of these drugs could have rendered her unconscious. So drowning has not been ruled out as a cause of death.
According to a source, Bobbi Kristina, Whitney’s daughter also suffered a similar incident the night before the pop singers death. Bobbi was checked into the same Beverly Hills hotel under Whitney’s name when she fell asleep in the bathtub causing friends to call security to have the door opened. This seems like a very strange coincidence. Hospitalized on two different occasions since her mothers death, people close to Bobbie fear she may be suicidal.
Whitney’s family was initially told by the LA County Coroner that she died of a drug interaction between Xanax and other prescription drugs mixed with alcohol. According to her mother, who spoke with her about a half an hour before she was found dead, everything seemed normal with Houston.
It sounds like there is some serious doubt about what exactly caused Whitney Houston’s death, hopefully we will have more answers as toxicology reports begin to flow in. As with any celebrity death, there is always a lot of hype. We will have to wait and see what facts come out.
What’s better than a little bit of good, simple, old-fashioned trolling?
If you watched the Grammys last night, you probably caught the Foo Fighters/deadmau5 performance (or better yet, Dave Grohl’s awkward dancing once he left the stage and deadmau5 took over). Despite what you think of his performance, that mouse helmet, or all the crazy kids and their glowsticks, you have to appreciate the little Grammy prank he pulled on a fellow musician.
In what can be seen as a wonderfully funny or painfully dickish move, deadmau5 showed up to last night’s Grammy awards wearing a T-shirt with dubstep artist Skrillex’s phone number. “U mad bro?” By the time deadmau5 performed at the show, the phone number was no longer visible – he just exposed the digits on the red carpet. But the internet did their job and the thing went viral. Plus, it really helped that deadmau5 tweeted this to his nearly 900,000 Twitter followers:
Twitter users reported that they were getting voicemail box full error messages when trying to contact Skrillex. Apparently, some people did a little bit of overreacting to what seemed to be a pretty innocent prank. Deadmau5 addressed these people in a Facebook post:
lady gaga can somehow pull off wearing meat, but as soon as i have a lul with a friend, OH SHIT NO I DIDNT. relax people. just a harmless bit of fun and trolling. gotta love the lil goblin for being a good sport about it… if i didnt think he would have… well… i probably would have done it anyway. why am i even writting this? epic fun times in LA! but i gotta scoot back to Toronto and finish off this damn studio so i can do whats *actually* important to me. making music.
Did you watch the Grammys? Impressed with anything in particular? Meh? Let us know in the comments.
It was only a matter of time before a movie was made, based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s New York Time’s bestselling book, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. The book which spawned this legendary cover (which poses as a decoration in my house).
The movie has been in the works for some time now, and now we have an official trailer to enjoy. There’s a lot of Lincoln action, mixed in with some old time US imagery. With my favorite moment occurring at the (1:06) mark.
The reaction on Twitter seems to be divided, with some who ‘get it’, while others are frowning upon it…
@alwayswatching Adam QuigleyBeyond excited for ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER. Playing it deadly serious makes it so much funnier. Why the apprehensive response?1 hour ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@JacobSHall JacobABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER looks like the stupidest movie ever made, so I’m going to be there opening day, Movie Pass in hand.1 minute ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@EricVespe Eric VespeI’m getting old and cranky, I think, because 90% of trailers look like previews for fake movies to me. cc Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter2 hours ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
While I’m in league with those who are beyond excited for the movie, I still scoff at Hollywood’s need to feature licensed music in every trailer they release. I love Johnny Cash as much as the next guy/gal; it just doesn’t get me excited for this movie.
Phil Mickelson isn’t the only one who crushed Tiger Woods over the weekend.
Lately, we all know that Tiger Woods has been struggling to get his game back on track after a series of injuries and off-the-course indiscretions knocked him off his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ Major Championship record. But until now, we didn’t really know just how far he’s fallen. The current version of Tiger Woods is now being beat by Jerry Yang.
Ok, it was a Pro-Am. And the amateurs have handicapped scores. Plus you can blame everything on Tiger Woods’ celebrity partner Tony Romo if you must. But the fact remains, that when you look at the final scoreboard – Tiger Woods’ name is way below those of many big-time tech figures.
Of course, we’re talking about last weekend’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and event that’s been (partially) benefitting charities since 1937. The tournament is basically two-in-one. One tournament involves and professional golfer teaming up with an amateur celebrity golfer. The other tournament works like any other PGA event. The latter was won by Phil Mickelson on Sunday as he put on a clinic to post an 8-under 64 in the final round – besting Tiger Woods by 11 strokes.
This year’s Pro-Am portion of the event feature some prominent figures in the tech industry, and as I said before, many of them bested Tiger Woods.
Partnered with Vijay Singh, Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen came in a respectable 7th place in the tournament. Internet entrepreneur and Broadcast.com co-founder Todd Wagner finished 10th. Former Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang came in 15th while current SVP at Google Nikesh Arora (pictured above) followed in 16th.
All of these tech bigshots beat Tiger, who along with Cowboy’s QB Tony Romo finished in 19th place.
The overall winners: Pro Brian Hartman and Group O founder Robert Ontiveros.
At the 54th annual Grammy Awards, it was Adele who walked off carrying a lot of gold. But singer and Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson stole at least a little bit of her thunder with a simple, but moving tribute to the late Whitney Houston.
I’ll reserve comment about many aspects of the Grammys, but I’ll just say that to many denizens of the internet, it was nice to see someone actually sing – and sing well. Though Whitney Houston’s later life will always be marred by drug use and bad press, it’s important to remember that she really did have one of the best voices in the history of pop music. On Sunday night, Jennifer Hudson did what she could to pay tribute to her with this performance of the Dolly Parton-penned classic “I Will Always Love You.” I think she did a pretty good job, what do you think?
Twitter hasn’t stopped buzzing about the performance:
Houston was found in a Beverly Hills hotel on Saturday afternoon. The cause of death has not yet been officially ruled, though wide speculation points to a drug overdose. During the hour following the AP’s tweet about her death, more than 2.4 million tweets flooded the stream. We also found out that some citizen journalists actually broke the news on Twitter a few minutes before the AP.
Stay tuned to this article for live updates via Twitter of the Grammy Awards. Expect heartfelt comments on the death of Whitney Houston, tweets live from Grammy winners, reactions backstage and booze inspired tweets from the after parties.
Tweets updating live – (Reload this page often – updates in real time):
@ChrisBrownSpot Chris BrownChris performed twice, won a grammy. Whitney received a tribute. Adele slayed the Grammys. That’s all I needed to see! Tonight was perfect!1 minute ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@fuggirls Go Fug YourselfThe opening to this Nicki Minaj performance feels so Gaga that she could run up right now and sue NM with a lawsuit written on a napkin-H2 minutes ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@EricTheOnly EricIt’s crazy how Jennifer Hudson just got her first Grammy from Whitney Houston three years ago and now she’s doing her tribute. Life is real.37 seconds ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@pkligerman Parker KligermanOk that breaking glass bit…now that’s cool. Katy Perry went up about 100 notches there. Well also cus some one told me its her.
@fuggirls Go Fug YourselfGot home just in time to see Taylor Swift’s Hot Grapes of Wrath outfit! (Don’t worry, I love her. She sounds much better live now, too)-J1 minute ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@GMA Good Morning AmericaAdele wins #Grammy for “Someone Like You” — hugging both Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt before saying “I’m getting emotional already.”1 minute ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
Download a free app for your iPad or iPhone and you can watch backstage action while you watch the live Grammy Awards on CBS TV. With this app or by watching on the Grammy Live website, the 54th Grammy Awards become a multi-screen experience.
Here is how the Grammy Live site describes its new live stream:
Tune in to Music’s Biggest Night like you never have before with an exciting “multi-screen experience” — as you watch the 54th GRAMMY Awards on CBS, keep the GRAMMY Live stream on your mobile device, tablet or computer! Don’t miss a set change with our behind-the-scenes load-in cam! And learn what happens AFTER an artist wins a GRAMMY with our official portrait photographer cam featuring renowned photographer Danny Clinch, live one-on-one interview room and full access to the official TV/radio room.
Following the Grammy Award telecast on CBS you can join the after parties via the app according to the Grammy Live website:
Bask in the aftermath of Music’s Biggest Night as GRAMMY Live gives you a first-class ticket to the hottest after-party in town, the GRAMMY Celebration.
The Grammy mobile app, includes the latest photos, videos, news, trivia and quite a bit more.
Music superstar Whitney Houston, age 48, has died according to the Associated Press. Publicist Kristen Foster told the AP that Houston has died, but did not officially reveal the cause and the location of her death.
Update 4: 00 PM – CBS News is reporting that Whitney Houston’s only child Bobbi Kristina Brown was rushed to the hospital:
“Bobbi Kristina Brown, only child of the late singer Whitney Houston, has been rushed to an LA-area hospital, KCBS has confirmed. Bobbi Kristina, 18, had been staying at the Beverly Hilton, the same hotel where her mother had registered to stay at for a pre-Grammy party Saturday night.”
Update: 2: 00 PM – Forbes is reporting that CBS is completely changing the Grammy’s in response to Whitney Houston’s death:
“The Grammy Awards have been completely revised. Meetings took place until 4am. The new opening of the show is now scheduled to be Bruce Springsteen singing his new song, “We Take Care of Our Own.” It’s a little ironic, but there it is. Following Springsteen, host LL Cool J is set to read a prayer–one rehearsal observer says it includes the words “Our heavenly father.” This will be followed by a video tribute to Whitney Houston. It’s unclear at what point Jennifer Hudison will sing either “I Will Always Love You” or a medley of Houston songs. More to come…”
Update 11:52 AM – The L.A. Times is reporting on erratic behavior by Whitney Houston just prior to her death:
“The visibly bloated singer displayed erratic behavior throughout the afternoon — flailing her hands frenetically as she spoke to Brandy and Monica, skipping around the ballroom in a child-like fashion and wandering aimlessly about the lobby. It was mentioned by a Grammy staffer that security personnel received calls of the singer doing handstands by the pool.”
Update: 11:30 AM – Bobby Brown sobs on stage upon hearing of Whitney Houston’s death according to US Weekly:
“Just hours after the shocking death of his ex-wife Whitney Houston, the show went on for Bobby Brown on Saturday night. During the ballad “Tenderoni,” Brown broke down onstage, the source says. As he sobbed, he asked the audience to sing along to the hit.”
Update 10:30 AM – Whitney Houston was taking Xanax and there is evidence she fell asleep in the bathtub where she died.
“No illegal drugs have been found in the hotel room where Whitney Houston died — at least not yet — but prescription drugs were present, and it’s possible the singer drowned in the bathtub.
Sources tell us … when EMTs arrived Whitney’s body was already removed from the bathtub so it will take an autopsy to determine if she OD’d, drowned or died from some other cause.”
“Our sources tell us a member of Whitney’s entourage found her in her oom at the Beverly Hilton hotel … and called hotel security — who then dialed 911. When paramedics arrived Houston was found unresponsive.
We’re told police arrived to the scene within minutes and fire was already there on an unrelated call. According to our sources, paramedics performed CPR but it did not work and she was pronounced dead at 3:55 PM.
Our sources say there were no signs of obvious foul play, but a BH PD detectives have begun a full investigation. We’re told she was ID’ed by family and friends.”
Also, according to TMZ Whitney Houston seemed fine just prior to her death.
“Whitney’s mother, Cissy Houston, spoke with her daughter 25-30 minutes before she died and nothing seemed unusual … sources tell TMZ. We’re told they talked about attending the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party. Dionne Warwick, Whitney’s cousin, called as well … several hours before Whitney died … to make sure they were sitting at the same table at Clive’s party. And again … there were no signs of trouble.”
According to the Google+Feedfetcher” title=”Whitney Houston dead” target=”_blank”>L.A. Times Whitney was planning to attend and perform at Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party Saturday at the Beverly Hilton hotel. Houston’s body was discovered by a member of her entourage on the fourth floor of the hotel.
Just yesterday, Whitney was reportedly approached by the X Factor to be a judge.
Saturday Night Live has been accused by some people these days of not being that funny anymore and that all of its good actors have moved on. SNL proved last night that they still got it.
A sketch last night on SNL spoofed Verizon’s ads where a person walks into a store to look for a new phone while an employee barrages them with specs and technical mumbo jumbo. While the ad would portray this as something that everybody gets, the truth is very different.
The sketch portrays what it’s really like for a person, young or old, when they encounter a Verizon salesperson. The sketch may be funny, but it once again shows that SNL can still give us the truth under a veneer of humor.
Check it out below:
And for those who can’t watch the NBC embed, we’re sorry. Every video of the ad on YouTube has been flagged for copyright by NBC. You’ll have to watch their embed.
It looks like Amazon is on its way to producing some original video content, not unlike Netflix and Hulu.
Well, actually, it’s a little unlike Netflix and Hulu. Rather than outsourcing production of original programming, Amazon is looking to create it in-house, as is indicated in Amazon’s job listings (via Ryan Lawler at GigaOm).
Recent listings include: Creative Executive, Kids, Creative Executive, Comedy, and Production Assistant.
People’s Production Company is a movie and series production company. We are seeking a Creative Executive, Comedy to help develop half hour comedies for online and traditional distribution. Projects will primarily come from Amazon Studios. This position will report to the VP, Series Development.
The ideal candidate knows the comedy genre, has development and production experience and wants to work with writers and artists to develop original series for the web and for traditional distribution channels.
Responsibilities
Assess pilot proposals
Work with writers and artists to develop series ideas
Staff, cast and produce pilots in a cost-efficient way
Supervise series production when series are greenlit
People’s Production Company, part of the Amazon.com, Inc. group of companies, is an equal opportunity employer. This job will be located in Sherman Oaks, CA.
It looks like at the very least, Amazon is looking to offer comedies and children’s programming. My guess is that it won’t stop there. So far, Netflix is going the drama route. Hulu has gone with comedy and reality.
We may be poised to see some interesting new directions for Amazon between this and a rumored retail store.
Or geeky, depending on your disposition. What we have here is a guy who goes by the name of “fiskybusiness89,” at least on YouTube, anyway; and his pretty damn awesome Millennium Falcon guitar.
Normally, fiskybusiness89’s YouTube page is reserved for the music (and related videos) of one Brian Fisk, but the Falcon guitar is an adventure in both craftsmanship and viral marketing for business purposes. Before that, however, here’s the musical instrument in question:
Yes, the Millennium Falcon guitar is for sale. If interested, you can email Mr. Fisk to inquire about prices. Because we’re more concerned with how awesome Fisk’s creation is, as well as the viral nature of it, because it is pretty geek-tacular. Bonus: not only does the video feature the guitar, as well as its ability to be played, Fisk also featured a short how-to segment, demonstrating how the Falcon guitar was created.
Of course, Fisk’s guitar was featured on Reddit’s geek YouTube page, which only helps in the video’s viral popularity.
In other news, it’s hard not to wonder whether or not if Fisk’s Millennium Falcon guitar would be considered a SOPA/ACTA violation, especially since he made a YouTube video of it. Then there’s the fact the Falcon itself has some sound effects from the official movie(s) intact. Would George Lucas approve, especially when you consider his love for rewriting history? I’m inclined to think if Lucas bought it, he’d remake the video, complete with ILM footage of Jabba the Hutt in the background.
What’s the worst possible thing that could happen in 2012? It’s definitely not the apocalypse.
Michio Kaku took to bigthink to address the doomsday prophecies for this year. He discredits any ideas that suggest there will be comet impacts or planet alignments. He does, however, say that a solar flare would cause unimaginable chaos to the world today.
Now we get solar flares every few years and they never cause much harm. What Kaku warns against is something similar to the Carrington Event.
The Carrington Event was a famous solar flare that occurred on September 1, 1859. Richard Carrington, one of England’s foremost astronomers, noticed an enormous group of sunspots. As NASA explains, just before dawn of the next day, skies all over planet Earth turned red, green and purple in a massive aurora that could even be seen in tropical environments.
Telegraph systems went completely haywire. Telegraph operators were shocked and paper in telegraph offices was set on fire. The telegraph systems were disconnected and the solar flare itself began operating the lines.
This all comes back to the idea that a solar flare on the scale of the Carrington Event could happen in 2012. What would that mean for us? Kaku explains that a solar flare of that magnitude would knock out most of our satellites, telecommunication systems and even the Internet.
Thankfully, it appears that such a solar flare happening again within our lifetime is unlikely. Whenever the sun ejects solar flares after flipping its magnetic poles every 11 years, the Earth dodges most of the energy due to its small size.
The chance for another Carrington Event is still possible, however, so NASA and other firms are petitioning for money to upgrade current systems to withstand massive solar flares.
Oh, and before you ask, the film Knowing is not an accurate representation of solar flares.
With no Super Bowl in its way, nor any other entertainment conflicts of note, AMC’s smash hit, The Walking Dead is back for the second half of its second season. Naturally, the social media promotional push is in full swing as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook all brace for the return of the undead, AMC-style.
eecards is getting in on the action as well, something the lead image indicates quite nicely. Currently, there are four versions of the digital love notes, however, if you haven’t sent one by Sunday (2-12), there’s really no point in it. Granted, Valentine’s Day is on Tuesday, but considering the card features a “The Walking Dead returns 2-12-12…” disclaimer, the meaning will be lost by then.
YouTube is also burning with Walking Dead love, or, at least the official AMC YouTube page is, and the latest promotional video is naturally the featured video:
On Twitter, The Walking Dead is the leading trend, courtesy of its Promoted status. A quick glance around the world of Twitter reveals anticipation is high:
Facebook is ready too as the zombie fans all over are Liking just about everything the gets posted to the account. All in all, just another day in The New Marketing Age, a place where word of mouth is monitored by the amount of retweets and likes content receives.
It’s interesting watching an industry embrace one side of Internet technology — the side where people praise their product — but absolutely freak the hell out about the side of the Internet that revolutionizes the way in which content is delivered. Digression aside, get your zombie survival kits ready, because The Walking Dead are coming.
Jack in the Box has just released a bacon-flavored milkshake. The bacon shake is made with no actual bacon, it features bacon-flavored syrup combined with vanilla ice-cream and is topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.
The new shake definitely strikes a chord with people; it’s a love it or hate it concept. I am not surprised to see this coming out of a fast food chain. I’m more curious to see how people react to it. It certainly has created a lot of buzz.
Coincidence, or a slyly timed response to one of the most argued changes in the updated version of the original Star Wars trilogy? Read on, and I’ll let you be the judge.
Han shot first!
Those three words have summed up the feelings of Star Wars fans ever since Lucas decided it was a good idea to update his classic movies for modern day cinema. Specifically, the words represent the hatred and loathing long time Star Wars fans have for the new versions, with all their CGI trappings. However, Lucas took it one step too far when he transformed Solo into a nerf-herding momma’s boy who let’s people shoot at him first before firing back. In the original he was a cold-blooded gangster who could make a Mandalorian’s heart stop beating just by looking at them, because he shot first and Greedo never shot at all.
There are countless videos like the one below, which have broken down the changes in the scene. This happens to be one of my favorites, which puts all the controversy into perspective.
The backlash has spawned its own sub-culture, where hardcore fans lurk in forums and write position papers about how the single moment changed Solo’s personality forever. Or they just write in one sentence responses to petition websites.
All your petition signatures are for not, as the dark lord has spoken (to THR) and he says Greedo has always shot first. It’s just that the original take was never clear enough who’s blaster pistol actually went off before the other.
The controversy over who shot first, Greedo or Han Solo, in Episode IV, what I did was try to clean up the confusion, but obviously it upset people because they wanted Solo [who seemed to be the one who shot first in the original] to be a cold-blooded killer, but he actually isn’t. It had been done in all close-ups and it was confusing about who did what to whom. I put a little wider shot in there that made it clear that Greedo is the one who shot first, but everyone wanted to think that Han shot first, because they wanted to think that he actually just gunned him down.
You hypocrite!
Personally, I think the change has always been unnecessary, but was never deserving of the vitriol it received from fans. The scene is representative of the classic westerns where two cowboys face one another in a stand-off. Han Solo’s character doesn’t change just because the order of shots is changed in a matter of milliseconds. I always thought replacing Sebastian Shaw with Hayden Christensen in the Return of the Jedi’s ending was a much more horrid offense than changing Han’s scene. I guess it’s harder to create a t-shirt campaign based around that though.
YouTube has announced some new original programming that may rival the Olympics.
Chris Hardwick, actor and comedian, has taken to the YouTube blog to announce Course of the Force. Nerdist Industries is partnering with Lucasfilm and Machinima to host the event which will see a five-day Olympic-torch-style lightsaber relay run that will begin on Santa Monica pier on July 7 and end in San Diego on July 11 – just in time for the San Diego Comic Con.
About 500 people are going to line up along the California coastline as runners pass off a lightsaber one person at a time. Segments can be purchased in quarter-mile increments and all proceeds will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Hardwick details the inspiration behind the event:
Here’s some backstory you didn’t ask for! In 2012, I will be attending my 9th San Diego Comic-Con. While I always look forward to that extended weekend of Nerdvana, I sometimes feel a bit like the commercial shininess of it slightly eclipses its intended spirit. To me, going to Cons as a kid was all about having a safe haven—a place where like-minded folks could come together to celebrate nerdly passions and accept each other for the oddball (by the larger and more boring sector of society’s standards) stuff we were all into. Ultimately, it should be the most fun thing of the year. For poop sake, most of you save up your whole year of cash and vacation time to go to SDCC sowhy not run at it screaming?? This is a rare opportunity to dress like a Sith (or ANYTHING of your choosing, Star Wars-y or not) and run down the beach while power chanting with a glowing sword made of light in your hand. On ANY OTHER DAY that would easily get you arrested or at the very least, detained. Don’t feel like running but want to support someone who is? FINE! Join us for parties, live music and comedy each night along the way.
For those interested in taking part in Course of the Force, you can claim a running spot at the official Web site. Those who buy a part on the course will receive a limited edition lightsaber and a swag bag that would apparently “make a scavenging Jawa jealous.”
The entire relay is going to be streamed on the Nerdist channel for those who can’t make it out.
It’s a good cause that should provide plenty of awesome content for Star Wars and general nerdy fans everywhere.
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, via social media, sharing sites, or good ‘ole email. Everyday we highlight some of the best that are currently viral and some that are trending that way.
Today’s videos feature a thin ice skating, a weatherman for the kids, and a Twisted f*****g Metal ad.
No matter your stance on the debate, you have to hand it to Rep. Maureen Walsh (R). Not only did she go against the tide of her party affiliation, but she delivered the most personal, heartfelt, and powerful speech I’ve seen from a politician concerning the topic of gay marriage. With a small bit of humor as well.
When you think of Star Wars nerds, the last thing you relate them to is an Olympic tradition. However, they’re stealing one to conduct a cool charitable event. May the force be with you…as you pass out from running 10 feet (hat tip to Triumph the Insult Comic Dog for the joke). If you want more details about the event, Zach Walton has a nice write-up
Sarah Palin vs. Moon Nazis, these are the kind of ideas we need more of Hollywood.
Hey there bud, you’re skating on…thin ice. (I’ll be here all evening, folks)
One of those videos where you hate the guy in it for the first 20 seconds, then he starts to grow on you, then you laugh at his Snoop Dogg needs an umbrella for the drizzle joke at the end.
So much going wrong in this video. First, the owner didn’t have the dog vaccinated for rabies and then you have a reporter getting directly in the face of a dog she doesn’t know. However, I love the look of reporters when they cut away from a segment that goes awkwardly wrong.
She prefers the plastic worms used as lures on fishing poles to actual gummie worms. At least there’s no sugar rush.
One of the greatest sounds you’ll ever hear in nature, sounds almost unnatural.
This is Twisted Metal…you f***er (Warning: NSFW – language)
Tel Aviv University researchers have released research results that suggest eating some sweets after breakfast may help you lose weight over the long term. The study involved about 200 non-diabetic patients which were all considered obese by clinical definition. Each was randomly assigned to a group who either consumed a 300 calorie breakfast or a 600 calorie breakfast which always included cookies, cake, or some chocolate.
Essentially, both groups lost an average of 33 pounds in the first 16 weeks. The difference came in the second 16 weeks. By the end of the 32 weeks, those who skipped the dessert regained an average of 22 pounds. Those who were in the dessert-eating group continued weight loss and shed an average 15 pounds more. In the end, the dessert group lost an average of 40 more pounds more than the others.
The layman’s explanation is simple. The people who abstained from sweets experienced more cravings throughout the day and gave into the cravings more often. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it is also when our appetite is smallest. So if you get your metabolism jump started early and eat that snack first, you have all day to burn it and you won’t be distracted by your cravings.
Keeping extra weight off long term is one of the biggest challenges. This finding could be a key component to helping people eat a steady balanced diet. If you combine this type of strategy with some moderate exercise, weight loss doesn’t have to be a mystery equation. Eat light at night and have sweets early in the day.
It sounds like people are happy with the idea so far. Speaking of Twitter, I just read an article where a man had the idea to use Twitter to track his diet progress. The main gist is that, at first he was inspired by his idea, but he quickly became embarrassed by his late-night fatty food feasts and long periods of inactivity on Twitter do to his shameful diet.
As his tweets will reveal, he persisted and did lose weight. One thing that struck me about his story is how others began to tweet their diets to him. They would share tales of high calorie meals and compare weight loss secrets.
Here’s a brief chronology of his work with the Twitter diet:
Last nite: asparagus sted of fries, but too much alcohol. Today: fruit; then sushi, little bit of soy sauce, 1 cookie sted of usual 3.
The latest Nielsen cross-platform report shows that Americans are watching more than 33 hours of video per week. Over 90% of viewers are subscribing to pay services for their television content but even more interesting is that over 75% are also paying for broadband service. In fact, pay television services and internet broadband subscriptions have risen over 5% in the last year.
Actually this makes a lot of sense. As consumers choose to spend more time at home to save money, they need to be entertained. Over five million homes have broadband only connections meaning they aren’t paying for television programming. this is an increase of almost 23% since 2010. I think this also makes a lot of sense. Save some money, most content is available online somewhere. Sometimes you just have to wait a week or two to see your favorite show.
So that’s what Nielsen had to report. The internet just seems to get more popular every year and consumers continue to spend more on home entertainment like satellite, broadband, and wi-fi despite less than ideal economic conditions. It’s no surprise. As fuel gets more expensive, why not pay to bring the entertainment to you.
What’s green, about 5 feet tall, and wet all over?
If you guessed an overgrown leprechaun after losing a water balloon fight, then go to the back of the class. The answer is actually the oldest living organism on Earth, Posidonia oceanica.
Posidonia oceanica is a seagrass found as low as 100 feet deep in the Mediterranean Sea where, according to Australian scientists, it has kept on keepin’ on between 12,000 and 200,000 years, though scientists believe the plant to be at least be 100,000 years old. One of the scientists who sequenced the seagrass’ DNA told The Telegraph that the reason the plant was so long in life was due to its ability to clone itself through asexual reproduction. +15 Charisma awarded to seagrass for making comic book science a real life science!
While all of this is very awesome, there is a black cloud looming over this otherwise sunny story: Posidonia oceanica may not be around my longer. Yes, thanks to changes in the climate the seagrass has started to decline.
“The seagrass in the Mediterranean is already in clear decline due to shoreline construction and declining water quality and this decline has been exacerbated by climate change,” Professor Carlos Duarte told The Telegraph. “As the water warms, the organisms move slowly to higher altitudes.”
Great. Just great, humanity. Thanks to us, we’re about to kill off the OLDEST living thing on our planet. I can barely comprehend what a lifetime of 100,00 years for a plant must be like, but it’s still profoundly annoying that even something so elegantly ancient as Posidonia oceanica is not immune to the environmental apocalypse wrought by our globe-warming asses.
