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Friday, July 15, 2011

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Can Wizards And Vampires Collect Unemployment?

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As the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises come to an end, the wizards, vampires and werewolves that have become household names will find themselves looking for work. But finding employment as a marquee fantasy actor is tougher than it may seem.

"Harry Potter" vs. The Greatest Movie Franchises of All Time

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How does 'Harry Potter' stack up in the 50 biggest film series ever?

Is this Sexy? (Pic)

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There's such a huge part of me that says "wrong, wrong wrong." And yet there's this other part that says "well, she might be hot under there and with that tattoo, there's no telling what limits this chick will go to."

70 Year-Old Grandma Threatened Over BitTorrent Download

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As the mass-BitTorrent lawsuits continue to pile up in U.S. courts, more stories of what appear to be wrongfully accused persons hit mainstream media. A 70 year-old retired widow from San Francisco falls into this category. The grandma was recently 'caught' sharing porn on BitTorrent and was offered a $3,400 settlement, or the option to risk a $150,000 fine in a full court case.

MIT Uses Video Games to Create the Smartest, Scariest Computer Ever

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Remember how much of a pain SimCity was? Now imagine trying to play it in Russian. Researchers at MIT have created machine-learning systems that are able to analyze instruction manuals to help them beat video games. The concept started with work by graduate student S.R.K. Branavan, working in the lab of Regina Barzilay, an associate professor in the computer science department at MIT. Branavan's group created a script that installed software in Windows by referencing instructions from Microsoft's website. Since then, they've taken it further, creating a program to play the turn-based strategy game, Civilization. The program has been a success too, winning 79 percent of the time with the help of the manual as compared to a near-random 46 percent win rate on its own. "Games are used as a test bed for artificial-intelligence techniques simply because of their complexity," Branavan said in an MIT press release. "Every action that you take in the game doesn't have a predetermined outcome, because the game or the opponent can randomly react to what you do. So you need a technique that can handle very complex scenarios that react in potentially random ways." A computer playing games is nothing new, whether you're battling the machine in Mortal Kombatw_CYrrk_ or chess. But in those instances the computer is always reactionary, at least in a sense. They're programmed to play based on an algorithm devised by a human, and no matter how cleverly that algorithm is designed, the computer is stuck with those rules. If you've ever been bored enough to have the computer play itself in, say, a hockey game, the play is generally sloppy and the outcome is mostly a coin-flip, just like the MIT program only winning half its Civilization games when it couldn't search for help. The winning program was more successfu

Drink Me Some Kool-Aid and Sleep like a Baby!

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Fox News Interviews The Only Woman Worth Interviewing.

Salt or cocaine, a fix is a basic instinct

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The genes activated when salt-starved rats consume salt are the same as those activated in drug addicts when their craving has been satisfied

15 Styles of Distorted Thinking [IMG]

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Obama's Call to Astronauts Assures US Future in Space Travel

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President Barack Obama made a long-distance call to space today (July 15) to the astronauts flying on NASA's final shuttle mission to the International Space Station, assuring the crew that the United States has a future in human spaceflight beyond shuttle era.

IBM Tops List of World's Most Energy Efficient Supercomputers

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IBM dominates the Green500 Top 10 list of the most energy efficient high-performance computers in the world and claims the No. 1 spot for a second time in less than a year.

APOD: 2011 July 15 - NGC 3314: When Galaxies Overlap

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Explanation: NGC 3314 is actually two large spiral galaxies which just happen to almost exactly line up. The foreground spiral is viewed nearly face-on, its pinwheel shape defined by young bright star clusters. But against the glow of the background galaxy, dark swirling lanes of interstellar dust appear to dominate the face-on spiral's structure. The dust lanes are surprisingly pervasive, and this remarkable pair of overlapping galaxies is one of a small number of systems in which absorption of light from beyond a galaxy's own stars can be used to directly explore its distribution of dust. NGC 3314 is about 140 million light-years (background galaxy) and 117 million light-years (foreground galaxy) away in the multi-headed constellation Hydra. The background galaxy would span nearly 70,000 light-years at its estimated distance. A synthetic third channel was created to construct this dramatic new composite of the overlapping galaxies from two color image data in the Hubble Legacy Archive.

Can you guess who it is yet? Risqué 26-foot statue of Marilyn Monroe to be unveiled today in the Windy City... where else?

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That pose, that dress, those erm, assets... The 26-foot tall statue towering above tourists in the middle of Chicago could only be one person. But that hasn't stopped workers, desperate to keep her identity a secret until tomorrow, placing a rather unsightly cloth bag over the poor girl's head, albeit it one in red, white and blue.

VIDEO: Girl hits ramp on bike, bails, flips, flips again & faceplants in pond

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How tough are you? Well we know someone who is! Watch this poor girl clip bails hard coming up to a jump before face planting into a pond. Damn that'd got to hurt!

Report: Android tops mobile OS usage for 7th straight month; iPhone still top device

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Millennial issued its June Mobile Mix report Friday morning, and it paints a picture that is very similar to May. Android was once again the most popular smartphone operating system in the month of June. Check out the rest of the key data from Millennial's Mobile Mix report.

Toshiba's New Honeycomb Tablet Already Feels Like It's A Year Behind

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It has full-sized USB and HDMI ports that make it thicker than the iPad 1.

Zanger Rinus And Romana Chill On A Scooter In Amazing Dutch Music Video

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Every once in a while a mythical beast of a YouTube video comes along where you can't tell if the people in it are kidding or being 100% serious. But, Zanger Rinus and his videos are completely genuine. He has been doing this for years, is mentally challenged and we think it's awesome that he has the bravery to put himself out there. More please!

The 9 Foods the U.S. Government Is Paying You to Eat

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Bread, burgers, and beer?

Rare Amur leopard caught on video

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A newly released video is cause for rejoicing among those trying to save one of the most critically endangered cats on Earth: the Amur leopard. Across the globe, only about 50 Amur leopards remain in the wild.

The Anatomy of a Doctor [Infographic]

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US is second as far as top countries with the most numbers of surgeons.

Rockin' Out (PIC)

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Thursday, July 14, 2011

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Digg / upcoming


Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - First Trailer

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Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are back as London's most famous detectives to face their greatest nemesis.

The Most Ridiculously Awesome/Awesomely Ridiculous Power Metal Album Covers

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Not all metal bands want to remind you that people want to kill you. There are also plenty of bands that want you to forget about your worries and whisk you away to a faraway land and time (sometimes the Middle Ages, sometimes Outer Space, sometimes Something The Band Just Fucking Made Up Themselves) and let you know that while evil does indeed lurk out there, most of the time good will prevail over evil.

Your Future Haircut (Ladies)

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In the future we will all have the same hairdresser

Official: Arnold's Last Stand Set

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Lionsgate today announced that Arnold Schwarzenegger will be making his return to film in The Last Stand, which the company is developing as a starring vehicle for the former California Governor. The announcement was made by the President of Lionsgate's Motion Picture Group Joe Drake, and President of Production Michael Paseornek...

The Rise of Online Deals and Coupons (Infographic)

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There's no denying it: The advent of the daily deal has changed the way bargain hunters shop.

Generic 'Republican Candidate' Leads Obama by 8 Points

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A generic Republican candidate leads President Obama by 8 points in a hypothetical 2012 matchup, a lead that no actual GOP candidate has been able to muster. A generic "Republican candidate" would beat Obama, 47 percent to 39 percent, among registered voters, according to a new Gallup poll released Thursday, reflecting the vulnerabilities facing the president as he gears up for reelection. The poll found independents would break for a nameless GOP candidate by a 10-point margin, 44 to 34 percent with 22 percent undecided, a warning sign for Obama's electoral fortunes next fall.

Google Back On Track In Q2, Beats The Street With Over $9 Billion In Revenue

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Google has just released their Q2 2011 numbers, and after a slightly-off Q1, it looks like Q2 is right back on track for the search giant. They beat the number the Street was expecting across the board. The key one being revenue: Google earned $9.03 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2011 (a new record for quarterly revenue). The street had been expecting about $8.6 billion. The revenue numbers were up 32 percent over the year-ago period. As the chart above shows, the Google.com numbers were the real strength here. Google-owned sites generated $6.23 billion in revenues, accounting for 69 percent of total revenues. That was a 39 percent increase over the year ago period.

FBI to investigate News Corporation over 9/11 hacking allegations

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Agency to investigate claims Rupert Murdoch's News Corp sought to hack into phone of victims of 9/11, reports say

How I interpret my beverage options on an airplane - The Oatmeal

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A brief analysis of what I like to drink while flying

Why Is Quantum Gravity So Hard? And Why Did Stalin Execute the Man Who Pioneered the Subject?

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What is the hottest problem in fundamental physics today? Physics aficionados most probably would answer: quantum gravity. Of all the fundamental forces of nature, only gravity still stands outside the rubric of the quantum theory. The difficulty of quant

Harry Potter Versus Star Wars: The Final Judgment

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The final Harry Potter movie opens up this week, and all week long people have been saying "goodbye" to the franchise. Lots of crying in your butterbeer and all that.

Video: What Rupert Murdoch and the Koch Brothers Have In Common

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The conglomeration of too much power in the hands of ethic-less ideologues is a shared theme. When this happens in the world of journalism, and when this happens in the world of politics, the public inevitably pays the highest price. A recent segment of Koch Brothers Exposed examined the intricate right-wing echo chamber the brothers fund in order to propagate policy lies into the mainstream debate. Unsurprisingly, Fox News was.....

Build, Baby, Build: The Greatest Modern Chinese Engineering Feats (SLIDESHOW)

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The 21st century has seen China set a new standard for engineering innovation. From bullet trains to jaw-dropping architectural achievements, here is a sampling of China's amazing engineering feats.

Eric Cantor: The most dangerous whiner in America

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Whenever economic disaster looms, you can count on the House majority leader to complain it is someone else's fault

Damnit! Leave me alone when I'm in the bath! [PIC]

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Thomas Edison’s Talking Doll Speaks After 123 Years of Waiting

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Damaged metal ring contained what is believed to be earliest known voice for a talking doll.

Tsunami airglow signature could lead to early detection system (w/Video)

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Researchers at the University of Illinois have become the first to record an airglow signature in the upper atmosphere produced by a tsunami using a camera system based in Maui, Hawaii.

Report: 25,000 Security Breaches at U.S. Airports Since November 2001

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Newly released Department of Homeland Security documents reveal that there have been 25,000 security breaches at U.S. airports since November 2001. More than 14,000 of those infractions were people entering

Pet Ownership Improves Well-Being

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Owning a pet may have more perks than simply returning home to a companion that's happy to see you.

Indian techie's site makes him accidental hero of Mumbai blasts

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Nitin Sagar was at his New Delhi office, tweeting about needing a girl to fondly run her fingers through his hair, when he saw the posts about three deadly blasts many miles away in Mumbai.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

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Digg / upcoming


Zuckers! Facebook Has Secretly Been Giving User Info to Cops

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A new report shows that police have secretly searched dozens of Facebook profiles since 2008. How's that Google+ invite looking?

India: 10 dead in multiple Mumbai bomb blasts

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Mumbai has been rocked by three explosions at busy locations in India's business capital with reports of at least 8 dead.

Learning Math is Like Learning a Foreign Language: The Earlier You Learn It, the Better

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We know that it's easier for children to begin learning a foreign language, playing a musical instrument or practicing gymnastics. Now researchers at the University of Missouri have found that math is like that.

Sony PlayStation Network to Invest $20 Million in Exclusive Game Portfolio

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So what does this mean for you as a gamer?

Metacritic Catches Games Reviewers Taking Bribes - gamrFeed

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Metacritic, a leading games database website, have been quoted by CVG confirming that they have scored off certain websites for 'corrupt practises,' as well as claiming that certain reviewers 'can absolutely be bought.'

Ancient algae: Genetically engineering a path to new energy sources?

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A team of researchers is making a connection between prehistoric times and the present -- ancient algae that can produce their own biofuel -- that could result in genetically creating a replacement for oil and coal shale deposits. Their discovery could have fundamental implications for the future of Earth's energy supplies.

America mourns: Four First Ladies & George W Bush attend funeral of Betty Ford (pics)

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Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan and Rosalynn Carter all turned out to pay their respects to former first lady Betty Ford today. The women joined George W Bush and a host of dignitaries at the funeral in California, which focused on Ford's twin passions: politics and her world famous Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and alcohol treatment. Ford, who died at the age of 93 on Friday, had mapped out plans for today's ceremony including who would deliver her eulogies.

60,000 Murders in Rio de Janeiro Remain Unsolved

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Three years from now, Rio de Janeiro will be hosting the 2014 World Cup. Two years after that, the 2016 Summer Olympics. The city's administration knows it has some serious work to do in terms of ensuring security is at a high and threat levels are low to host the millions and millions of visitors, but a recently published statistic isn't helping morale: 60,000 murders from the last 10 years remain unsolved in the state, including 24,000 unidentified victims.

Bruce Campbell Confirms Evil Dead Remake Is Happening

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Talk of a fourth Evil Dead movie/Evil Dead remake has been around for a while, with little solid proof that the indie horror franchise would actually see new life. Bruce Campbell — Ash himself — has Tweeted confirmation that the project is on its way to fruition.

AIDS pill can stop heterosexual infection

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AIDS drugs designed to treat HIV can also be used to reduce dramatically the risk of infection among heterosexual couples, two studies conducted in Africa showed for the first time on Wednesday.

Rutgers Prof: Rep. Paul Ryan's wine choice speaks volumes

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Susan Feinberg comments on the congressman's decision to drink $700 in wine while seeking to health care cuts for many households.

How Google+ is built

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If you're curious about the technology behind Google+, you're in luck. The project's technical lead, Google engineer Joseph Smarr, is currently hosting an online question and answer session about the service, sharing details about the social platform's development, technology, and plans for the future.

Awesome Games Made By One Person

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Some are free, some are cheap -- they're all awesome. Check out our list of games made entirely by a single person, including art, music, and coding.

Anti-Piracy Lawyer Has Been A Very Bad Boy

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Imagine that....

Guy is Actually Walking 1,000 Miles So His Proclaimers-Loving Girlfriend Will Marry Him

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Her response? "He's such a fruitcake. I would have married him anyway."

19 Awesome Old School Video Games (That Should Have Existed)

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The first 25 years of any art form are going to be riddled with embarrassing missteps, and frustrating missed opportunities. A look back through the early days of gaming knowing what we know now, and show us the games we would have been playing if they'd gotten everything right the first time around.

Rosie Jones Posts the Sexiest Twitpic Ever (PIC)

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Rosie Jones takes a huge lead in the race for best model Twitpic of 2011 with the help of Emma Glover and Rhian Sugden.

Dear Netflix, It's Time to Get Your Shit Together

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You probably know Netflix raised its prices. And, like everyone else, you're probably outraged at the death of $10 1 disc + streaming plan. But the $6 price hike doesn't have to be the end of the world.

Debt talks reveal the Republicans’ apocalyptic war on government

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Obama falls victim to the GOP war on government.

Running wild: San Fermin festival 2011 [The Big Picture]

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Those mad adrenaline- (and sometimes alcohol-) infused half-mile dashes dodging 1,800-pound stampeding bulls have begun through the streets of Pamplona, Spain. Part-spectacle, part-tradition, the Running of the Bulls is the most celebrated slice of the nine-day San Fermin Festival.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

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Digg / upcoming


Moody's CEO Raymond McDaniel and Warren Buffet Talk Credit Ratings

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"I am deeply disappointed with the ratings, with the performance of ratings associated with the housing sector." - Raymond McDaniel

10 Women Who Used To Be Hot

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Whether they surrendered their sexiness to botox or chicken wings, we still feel nostalgic about these formerly appealing celebs.

A Brief History of Convenience Stores in Movies [VIDs]

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In honor of the unofficial 84th birthday of our favorite chain convenience store, 7-Eleven

See Vladimir Putin with Two Penises

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Russia's first sex museum, Moscow's G Spot, features penis art as well as a gift shop stocked with sex toys.

Dear Netflix, Kindly go fuck yourself

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Many of us have been customers of Netflix for years. Probably not much longer.

The Big Guide to Comic-Con 2011

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Check out all the panels you can't miss. Or else.

Global Warming: Scientists vs. Climate Skeptics (Infographic)

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Infographic on the continuing climate change debate (as if it's debatable). You wont' believe what the skeptics are saying!

New Hampshire Defunds Planned Parenthood

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The move will cost the state's chapter 20 percent of its budget and lead it to turn away 9,000 women a year seeking discounted birth control.

Humpback Whale's Amazing Rescue Caught on Tape (VIDEO)

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When Michael Fishbach and his crew discovered a young humpback whale tangled in a fishing net, they knew they had to act fast. An amazing rescue caught on tape.

A new U.S. law-enforcement tool: Facebook searches

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. law-enforcement agencies are increasingly obtaining warrants to search Facebook, often gaining detailed access to users' accounts without their knowledge.A Reuters review of

Five Wii U Issues You May Have Not Considered

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The Wii U has the potential to shake up the industry again with an all new way to play on a home console. But while many sit around wondering about what the new controller can achieve and how their favorite Nintendo franchises will look in HD, it's easy to overlook some of the issues the system may present. Potential problems like system specs and online functions have already been discussed at length by many, including us. But what about some of the smaller issues. Let's take a look at some issues that are unlikely to be a huge factor when purchasing, but may cause a bit frustration to those who pick up the Wii U.

Kitten Scared Of Two Apples (VIDEO)

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YouTuber ignoramusky's little kitten does not know what to make of these apples, and it's a valid concern. What would you do if you woke up and there were two things sitting on the bed ominously staring at you?

5 Life Lessons We Learned From Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

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Oh, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, the wonderful SNES game that taught us about love, friendship, parenting and eggs.

There's Finally One Guy In Washington Who's Talking Sense On The Deficit -- Too Bad Everyone Else Just Wants To Get Reelected

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All together now: We don't give a damn about the country.

How Food Prices Affect Your Weight

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While increasing the prices of bad foods makes kids skinnier, a more effective solution might be finding ways to decrease the price of foods that are good for you.

The Most Iconic Fashion Films

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Some of Hollywood's most successful stars owe a lot to their on-screen style. But what of the stories behind these inspiring and award-winning wardrobes? Brush up on your trivia with our favourite iconic looks from the movies.

VIDEO: Baseball big screen kid does a smooth Thriller dance in front of thousands

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Seeing himself on the big screen, this kid began to boogie, and suddenly everyone in the stadium was watching him. Watch this little tyke take the opportunity to show off his dancing skills. Could you do better?

Damn...That's quite a snap! (pic)

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A PHOTOGRAPHER got the snap of her life when this giant croc jumped out of the Adelaide River

Car Color Preferences from Around the World (Infographic)

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Some colors never go out of style

Holy Batman and His Bloody Amazing 9,000-Brick Lego Batcave! [PICS]

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I'm glad Lego genius Alex Schranz has made this 9,000-brick Lego model --which includes multiple levels, a Batmobile, security systems, elevator and everything else-- of the actual Batcave I'm planning to build with 9 billion Lego bricks.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Digg / upcoming

Digg / upcoming


Video: Life Lessons from 40 Films in 7 Minutes

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Social Networking Gone Wild: Foreclosure via Facebook

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More and more foreclosure notices are being delivered via the social network.

What Can a Degree Earn You in Today's Job Market [Infographic]

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A look at some of the highest paying jobs plus other factors which shows how you can get the most out of the job market.

Mozilla Slates Firefox 5 Update to Fix Lion Crash Bug

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Mozilla plans to update Firefox for the Mac to deal with a bug affecting the browser in Apple's soon-to-be-released Lion operating system.

PSA: A New, Nameless Hot Paraguay Soccer Fan Has Burst Onto the Scene

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Larissa Riquelm, who recently pledged to run naked if her country won this year's Copa America, now officially has some competition as the hottest and, um, 'biggest', Paraguayan soccer fan in the world. During Saturday's match against Brazil (which ended in a 2-2 draw), this busty bombshell was spotted in the crowd, showing humongous support for Paraguay's National Team.

The Evolution of Grand Theft Auto (Infographic)

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Let's take a look at how this game of stealing cars and gunning down opponents has evolved over the years.

Super Mario Bros - Record for Lowest Possible Score!

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Super Mario Bros came out back in 1985 on the infamous Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). To this day it is still being played either by those who want to remember the frustrations or someone who is out to beat the world record with a speed run. This gamer scored 600 points. Can you beat his low score and time? Watch it here.

Pegatron Rumored Joining in on iPad 3 Production

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Apple may take on a second contractor to make the iPad 3, according to industry rumors Monday. Pegatron, already in line to build iPhone 5s, is considered a frontrunner to build the tablets along with original producer Foxconn.

VIDEO: Pippa Middleton's bum gets its own YouTube series

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Thought you'd heard the last of Pippa Middleton's backside? Nope. The owner of the most famous bum in Britain is about to be immortalized in her own YouTube series.

Sheryl Crow Criticized for Donation

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Sheryl Crow, who has been a publicly supported campaigns to keep our wild horses on the range, is receiving criticism for performing at a rodeo and donating some of her proceeds to save wild horses.

We went to Osama bin Laden's former Pakistan hideout so you wouldn't have to

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Since 2006, Vice has closely followed and chronicled the growing political turmoil in Pakistan, when founder Suroosh Alvi visited the infamous gun market of Darra Adamkhel.

7 Annoying Shows Women Watch (And How To Survive Them)

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Guyism.com tries to guide men through the minefield that is TV shows women like to watch and how to survive watching them while keeping your brain intact.

Whatcha Lookin At? (PIC)

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10 Homemade Slip-n-Slide You Want to Ride [Videos]

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Summer is a time for fun in the sun, but sometimes that fun is hard to come by. If you're not lucky enough to live near a beach or a lake, sometimes you have to improvise. Luckily, all you need for a great afternoon of summer fun is a hill, some water, and about 150 feet of plastic tarp to build an awesome slip n' slide.

The First Rule of Liberalism

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Remember the "stimulus," or, as it was officially titled, the Recovery Act of 2009? It was President Obama's first major legislative initiative, enacted the month after he took office with only Democratic votes in the House and just three Republicans in the Senate (one of whom was a Democrat by that summer). The price tag was huge, some $800 billion, or 50 times the size (in nominal terms) of the stimulus Bill Clinton proposed at the outset of his presidency. Congress killed the $16 billion Clinton stimulus because it was too expensive. Unemployment that January was 7.6%, and Obama's economic advisers warned that it could rise as high as 8% without the stimulus. With the stimulus, it rose as high as 10.2% in October 2009. Last month's rate was 9.2%, still 1.2 points higher than the level the stimulus was supposed to prevent us from ever reaching. By contrast, in January 1993 unemployment was 7.3%. Without the Clinton stimulus, it had declined to 6.5% by the end of that year.

Just What We Needed Dept.: Blue Cooling Foam In A Can

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It's hot out there! Time for TreeHugger to roll out another silly Japanese waste of propellant and metal.

British government lawyers look to block BSkyB bid

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British government lawyers are drawing up plans to block Rupert Murdoch's bid to buy out the broadcaster BSkyB, the Independent newspaper said on Monday, a move that could spare Prime

ISP flip-flops: why do they now support "six strikes" plan?

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As recently as last year, major ISPs strongly opposed playing any role in policing copyright infringement. "Private entities are not created or meant to conduct the law enforcement and judicial balancing act that would be required," said AT&T. So why did they change their minds?

South Sudan: A New Nation Rises [The Big Picture]

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The world has a new nation. The Republic of South Sudan officially seceded from Sudan on July 9, ending a 50-year struggle and decades of civil war. After a referendum earlier this year on independence passed with the support of 99% of the population of southern Sudan, events were set in motion that led to Saturday's celebration. Joy marked the festivities, but South Sudan faces steep challenges. Although the country has oil reserves and fertile soil, there is much poverty and little infrastructure. Collected here are images from the last several months, showing scenes of daily life, portraits of South Sudanese, and the celebration of independence.

Michele Bachmann Vows To End Non-Existent Federal Program

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Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, dropped the Minnesota nice schtick on "Meet the Press" this Sunday, criticizing his state-mate, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), for having a "nonexistent" record as an office holder. Bachmann's campaign fired back at her fellow 2012 contender with an email later that day citing her efforts to end cap and trade as one bullet point on her record. "I have fought the cap-and-trade agenda, rather than implement it, and I will work to end cap-and-trade as President of the United States," Bachmann wrote.....