News story of the day

[Jon]

I thought this was spoof news!

[8pints]

That's this one.

 

http://www.villatalk.com/index.php/topic/412-and-in-todays-newsoccasionally-nsfw/page-127'>http://www.villatalk.com/index.php/topic/412-and-in-todays-newsoccasionally-nsfw/page-127

[Houlston]

[8pints]

I can guess from their expressions which one owned the monkey in question.

 

Mind you, one of the monkey's has their arms crossed, might be a clue.

Edited June 28, 2013 by 8pints

[Houlston]

I think that headline could also be in Paddy's thread. Every time I read it it makes me smile.

[AVFCforever1991]

Disabled duck gets new foot thanks to 3D printing

 

 

 

 

 

Born with a backwards foot, Buttercup could only walk in great pain — until his owner came up with a novel idea for a duckie prosthetic.

When he was born in a high school biology lab in November last year, little Buttercup wasn't like all the other ducklings: his left foot was turned backwards, making getting around a bit of a trial for the little guy. Although his carer at the school worked on turning the foot around the right way, it couldn't quite get there.

 

So when he was transferred to Feathered Angels Waterfowl Sanctuary in Arlington, Tennessee, new owner Mike Garey realised pretty quickly that something had to be done.

"With his deformed foot, he would have been in pain and had constant cuts and foot infections walking on the side of it even at our sanctuary here; and foot infections on these guys is always a serious matter," Garey said.

After Buttercup had his foot amputated in February, Garey — a software engineer by trade — started looking into options for a replacement limb. Sure, Buttercup could have a peg leg; but what if Garey could replace the entire foot?

After shopping around for a service, he found 3D printing company NovaCopy, which agreed to donate its services to helping Buttercup walk again. Together, using photos of the left foot of Buttercup's sister Minnie, they designed a brand new left foot for Buttercup.

 

Because the foot needs to be flexible, the usual plastics used in 3D printing aren't viable. Instead, NovaCopy printed a mould, which will be used to cast a silicone foot for the lucky duck, creating several iterations of the design to come up with the perfect one. It will be attached to his foot via a silicone sheath.

"This version will have a stretchy silicone sock instead of the finger trap, which will roll up on his leg, be inserted into the foot and then have a fastener in the bottom," Garey said. "If you saw Dolphin Tail, this material is similar to the WintersGel that they used." WintersGel is a prosthetic liner that grips the amputated limb.

Buttercup, currently walking around on his stump, is due to get his new foot very soon, with the final design arriving in the next two weeks. You can follow Buttercup's story on his Facebook page.

 

 

http://www.cnet.com.au/disabled-duck-gets-new-foot-thanks-to-3d-printing-339344725.htm

[saturdaygig]

They had a news report from Croatia on BBC this morning (they just joined the EEC) and behind the reporter were a bunch of people waving a big flag and dancing around etc. He gestured to them and said 'these people were just here, they're not even being paid to do this'. Implication being that normally when you see protestors behind a reporter they are paid to be there and jazz up the story.

[bickster]

Surely the implication is that in certain former communist countries there was a rent a crowd attitude too support government policy. ~Protesters, protest, its rare the government hire them to jazz a story up

[BOF]

Germany officially has a new word.

English profanity earns place in standard German dictionary

BERLIN, July 3 (Reuters) - The English profanity "sh*tstorm" is so widely used by Germans, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, that the country's most prestigious dictionary has included it in its latest edition.

"Over the last few years, 'sh*tstorm' has entered everyday usage so that's why it now appears in the new printed edition of the dictionary," said Nicole Weiffen, head of communications at Duden, which publishes Germany's standard dictionary.

"It is used in a lot of print and online media as well as in a whole host of other contexts so it is really relevant for the German language now," she told Reuters.

The latest edition of the Duden dictionary defines the word as "a storm of indignation expressed via the internet, sometimes accompanied by offensive comments."

That varies slightly from the English meaning, with the Oxford English Dictionary, which defines sh*tstorm as "a situation marked by violent controversy".

Asked last year if it was worth considering whether internet users should have some kind of driving licence, Merkel said: "Yes but I won't make any suggestions here. Otherwise we'll get a 'sh*tstorm' tomorrow."

The word was named "Anglicism of the Year" by a panel of language experts in 2011, who said it "filled a gap in the German language".

Germans also use the word "candystorm" to refer to an outpouring of approval for public figures. That word has yet to enter the Duden dictionary. (Reporting by Michelle Martin, editing by Paul Casciato)

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

 

When the cameras panned to the Colombian singer Shakira cheering on her footballing husband, Gerard Piqué, during a Confederations cup match, to many it was just another shot of a glamorous celebrity. But in Iran, the few seconds of a woman with bare arms and a revealing top broadcast on national television for the first time prompted furious debate.

 

Hardliners in Iran attacked the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) network this week for a series of gaffes, showing "indecent" and "un-Islamic" images in the middle of its live sports coverage, including the glimpse of Shakira.

 

The images came as a surprise to millions of viewers. Thousands of her Iranian fans quickly posted the still images of her appearance online and tweeted their delight. "Everyone tune in to [iRIB's] channel 3, they're showing Shakira!!!," tweeted one. "Last night they showed Shakira, tonight they shall show Jennifer [Lopez]," read another tweet.

 

Iranian women are not allowed to accompany men in stadiums for national football matches, and international games, usually streamed from foreign-based satellite channels, are strictly moderated. But censors appear not to have had enough time to react during last week's coverage.

 

Another big challenge for the state TV came within a few days. This time, Iran's national volleyball team was in a rare high-profile game with Italy on Sunday in Sardinia, where high temperatures had prompted yet more spectators to wear revealing clothing. To the dismay of fans, officials at the IRIB decided to broadcast the match with a seven-second delay and repeatedly cut live coverage to show archive images in order to avoid scenes deemed inappropriate. Despite this, it was unable to black out all images, and those broadcast on national TV included scenes showing Iranian exiles with western clothing.

 

Both occasions prompted Ali Motahari, Tehran's conservative MP, to issue a warning to the IRIB asking it to take more care.

 

In response to his criticism, Ezatollah Zarghami, the head of Iran's state television, said on Tuesday that broadcasting volleyball matches was even more difficult than showing live election debates, his comments grabbing headlines in Wednesday's newspapers in Tehran.

 

Zarghami faces another problem on Friday for a volleyball match between Iran and Cuba.

 

"Because of the warm weather in Cuba, the situation is going to get even worse," he warned. "We have decided to negotiate with our cultural colleagues in Cuba in order to have fans wear tracksuit trousers and sweatshirts," he told the Mehr news agency. Zarghami's comments about talks with Cuba were taken seriously until Mehr later clarified he was joking. Zarghami said that state TV has no other way but to broadcast the match or otherwise viewers will turn to satellite channels.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/03/iran-hardliners-shakira-confederations-cup

[BOF]

"Because of the warm weather in Cuba, the situation is going to get even worse," he warned. "We have decided to negotiate with our cultural colleagues in Cuba in order to have fans wear tracksuit trousers and sweatshirts," he told the Mehr news agency. Zarghami's comments about talks with Cuba were taken seriously until Mehr later clarified he was joking. Zarghami said that state TV has no other way but to broadcast the match or otherwise viewers will turn to satellite channels.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/03/iran-hardliners-shakira-confederations-cup

See that's the kind of thing that should absolutely be rejected flat out and laughed at as soon as it's suggested. Who do they think they are /rhetorical. If you can't broadcast it as is then don't broadcast it. Don't take your medieval values and try to impose them on someone else's population.

[mjmooney]

Idiocy on a grand scale.

[BOF]

The problem is with it being Cuba, they're far more likely to acquiesce, given that they have almost as much control over their natives as Iran does

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

To be fair, the tracksuit thing was a joke.

 

Still bonkers.

[AVFCforever1991]

Utter ridiculousness.. 

[Paddywhack]

I think it's right that they should cover up, I don't want my kids seeing bare shoulders and elbows!

 

What next? Hardcore porn on cbeebies!?

[coda]

Phwoar, look at Shakira's bare arms.

[AVFCforever1991]

Her elbows are too points, would not bang...

[snowychap]

Brazilian referee beheaded by spectators after he fatally stabs player

 

 

Police in northern Brazil say one man has been arrested after a referee who fatally stabbed a player during a match was decapitated by spectators who stormed the field.

Local reports said the incident, which took place on 30 June in the remote Brazilian town of Pio XII, escalated when the player, 30-year-old Josenir dos Santos, became involved in an argument with the referee, Octavio da Silva.

As the confrontation became physical and Dos Santos refused to leave the field, Da Silva allegedly produced a knife and stabbed the player, who died while being taken to hospital.

Reports said that outraged spectators responded by running on to the field and stoning Da Silva, before severing his head and sticking it on a stake in the middle of the field.

Police at the regional headquarters of Santa Ines said a 27-year-old man was arrested on 2 July, with the investigation continuing.

Police spokesman Valter Costa was quoted as saying: "We will identify and hold accountable all those involved in this incident. One crime will never justify another. Actions like this do not correspond with state law."

Brazil faces mounting pressure to show it is a safe place for tourists before 12 cities host the 2014 World Cup and Rio de Janeiro the Olympics in 2016. The Confederations Cup in June was marked by violence as anti-government protestors angered by the amount of money being spent on the events clashed with police.

 

 

[legov]

Mob mentality at its most quintessential.

Edited July 7, 2013 by legov