Interesting News Items

[Keith]

Post all interesting news items here.

[sklXbns]

1. A short article on the possibility of mandatory marking of altered photos as such by law (with loads of examples of extremely altered photos):

Image Tool Catches Fashion Industry Photo Alterations | Wired Science | Wired.com

2) A Robin Williams follow up for Joe DeRosa and Jared Logan: Williams impersonates iPhone 4S's Siri... in a French accent (video):

Robin Williams Blows Your Siri Impression Out Of The Water | TechCrunch

[GossipTGirl]

Woman Reportedly Burns Down House After Facebook Un-Friending

A recent house fire at the Iowa home of Jim and Nikki Rasmussen has been traced to an unlikely source: an un-friending on Facebook.

According to the Des Moines Register, the Rasmussen family homestead went up in smoke in the early morning hours of Oct. 27. The fire department suspected arson and when the family was asked by investigators if anyone would want to harm the family. Both husband and wife agreed there was only one suspect: Jen Harris. Detectives have since arrested Jennifer Christine Harris, 30, of Des Moines, on a charge of first-degree arson.

The friendship of Nikki Rasmussen and Harris apparently hit a rough patch while the former friends were planning a party via Facebook. When the big event went bust with many declined e-vites, Harris allegedly held Rasmussen accountable, and according to news reports, posted some unsavory items on her Facebook wall. In this modern age, Rasmussen exacted her revenge with a few clicks of the mouse and de-friended Harris. This affront was too much for Harris who took her anger offline and allegedly torched the family’s garage, melting the siding clean off the home.

The Associated Press says that the fire destroyed a detached garage and damaged the home of the Rasmussens, but caused no injuries. Harris is being held in the Polk County Jail on $100,000 bond.

[JackFetch]

Mugger picks wrong victim: MMA fighter

A would-be mugger on Chicago’s Southwest Side picked on the wrong person — a mixed-martial artist — and ended up with two black eyes and a gunshot wound to the ankle, the police say.

Police say 24-year-old Anthony Miranda walked up to a parked car near 55th and Kenneth around 11:30 p.m. Friday and asked the driver — whose identity was not released by police** — for a lighter.

When the driver said he didn’t have one, the police say Miranda pulled a handgun on the driver and demanded money. After getting some, he ordered the driver out of the car, Officer John Mirabelli said.

The mugging victim was able to get control of the gun, and the two wrestled, with Miranda accidentally firing his gun and shooting himself in the ankle during the fight, Mirabelli said.

The victim, who told police he’s a mixed-martial artist, held Miranda down until the police and found Miranda with a face full of cuts and two black eyes. He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital for treatment.

Miranda, a convicted felon, was charged with armed robbery and aggravated discharge of a firearm and rdered held on $350,000 bail. Records show he has several convictions, including one for a residential burglary.


Mugger picks wrong victim: MMA fighter - Chicago Sun-Times

[Lord of the Cock Rings]

Couple badly injured after bodybuilder attack

COLTON, Calif. (AP) — Police say a naked, 300-pound bodybuilder savagely beat a Southern California couple at their home, leaving them in critical condition.

The Sun of San Bernardino says 22-year-old Ruben Arzu apparently was under the influence of steroids and other drugs, and it took four police officers, two stun gun blasts and four sets of handcuffs to restrain him.

Police say the couple came home late Saturday to find Arzu naked on the front porch of their home in Colton.

When Arzu was confronted by the 35-year-old husband, police say the bodybuilder attacked the man, causing major head trauma.

The man's wife called 911. Police say Arzu then picked her up and threw her around, causing facial injuries and multiple cuts to her head.

Arzu was booked on suspicion of attempted homicide.

[JackFetch]

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: Guns N' Roses, Chili Peppers Lead 2012 Class Of Inductees

Welcome to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Guns N' Roses.

The seminal rock band of the late 1980s and early `90s, best known for hits like "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "November Rain," leads the 2012 class of inductees announced on Wednesday. Also making the cut is the hip-hop trio Beastie Boys; rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers; the late singer/songwriter Laura Nyro; Donovan; and influential British rock group The Small Faces/The Faces, which included Rod Stewart and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.

Nyro, who wrote such hits the 5th Dimension's "Wedding Bell Blues" and Blood Sweat & Tears' "When I Die," is the only female act to make it this time around. The hall passed on Donna Summer, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Heart and Rufus with Chaka Khan, who were on the ballot for 2012.

But it wasn't just women who were denied entry into the rock hall for next year. Voters also passed on hip-hop pioneers Eric B. & Rakim, War, the Cure and the Spinners.
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: Guns N' Roses, Chili Peppers Lead 2012 Class Of Inductees

[Lord of the Cock Rings]

“Mythbusters” cannonball misfire tears through family’s home

[GossipTGirl]

Library of Congress to archive EVERY tweet ever made

If you were thinking that tweet you just sent would soon disappear into the ether, you couldn't be more wrong. It will soon be stored alongside Thomas Jefferson's draft of the American Declaration of Independence and a Gutenberg Bible.

That's because every public tweet sent since Twitter was launched five-and-a-half years ago is to be be archived by America's national library. The Library of Congress announced the deal with Twitter last year, but yesterday its digital initiatives manager shone more light on the project.

'We have an agreement with Twitter where they have a bunch of servers with their historic archive of tweets, everything that was sent out and declared to be public,' said Bill Lefurgy when he appeared on Federal News Radio's Federal Drive show yesterday.

The archive will be available to Mr Lefurgy's team of researchers, to find and analyse interesting trends.

'There have been studies involved with what are the moods of the public at various times of the day in reaction to certain kinds of news events. There’s all these interesting kinds of mixing and matching that can be done using the tweets as a big set of data.'

And with more than 140 million tweets processed by Twitter every single day, the social networking site has its work cut out with the Library project.

'They've had to do some pretty nifty experimentation and invention to develop the tools and a process to be able to move all of that data over to us,' Mr Lefurgy said.

The archives won't contain tweets that users have protected, but every other message will be stored there - including the very first, sent by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. His tweet, sent on 21 March 2006, simply said: 'Just setting up my twttr.'

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections. It was built in 1800 and is housed in three buildings in the capital, Washington D.C. As well as a rough draft of the American Declaration of Independence and a Gutenberg Bible, the Library holds Thomas Jefferson's entire personal book collection.

[amish J]

WON'T BE DRINKING STARBUCKS ANYMORE...




Recently Marines in Iraq wrote to Starbucks because they wanted to let them know how much they liked their coffees and to request that they send some of it to the troops there.

Starbucks replied, telling the Marines thank you for their support of their business, but that Starbucks does not support the war, nor anyone in it, and that they would not send the troops their brand of coffee.

So as not to offend Starbucks, maybe we should not support them by buying any of their products! I feel we should get this out in the open. I know this war might not be very popular with some folks, but that doesn't mean we don't support the boys on the ground fighting street-to-street and house-to-house.

If you feel the same as I do then pass this along, or you can discard it and no one will ever know.

Thanks very much for your support. I know you'll all be there again when I deploy once more.

Semper Fidelis.
Sgt. Howard C. Wright
1st Force Recon Co
1st Plt PLT

Also, don't forget that when the Twin Trade Towers were hit the fire fighters and rescue workers went to Starbucks because it was close by for water for the survivors and workers and Starbucks charged them!!

JUST A NOTE TO THIS; STARBUCKS HAD STORES ON SEVERAL MILITARY BASES IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY ARE NOW BEING REMOVED BECAUSE OF THIS.

PLEASE DON'T DELETE THIS. ALLOW IT TO BE PASSED TO ALL IN MEMORY OF ALL THE TROOPS WHO HAVE DIED SO THAT WE MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE TO SUPPORT THEM OR NOT!! !

[Lord of the Cock Rings]

^^^

Is this NEWS or copypasta from a chain email