🐱 Interesting clickbait, op-eds, fluff pieces and other smaller stories

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/24/caitlyn-jenner-halloween-costume-sparks-social-media-outrage-.html

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...een-costume-labeled-817515?utm_source=twitter

It's nowhere near October, but one ensemble is already on track to be named the most controversial Halloween costume of 2015.

Social media users were out in full force on Monday criticizing several Halloween retailers for offering a Caitlyn Jenner costume reminiscent of the former-athlete's Vanity Fair cover earlier this year.

While Jenner's supporters condemned the costume as "transphobic" and "disgusting" on Twitter, Spirit Halloween, a retailer that carries the costume, defended the getup.

"At Spirit Halloween, we create a wide range of costumes that are often based upon celebrities, public figures, heroes and superheroes," said Lisa Barr, senior director of marking at Spirit Halloween. "We feel that Caitlyn Jenner is all of the above and that she should be celebrated. The Caitlyn Jenner costume reflects just that."

 

[No. 7 cat]

Lawyer since 1976… So assuming he passed the bar at 25 (being generous), means he’s 72 years old. And still has enough flexibility to shit in a Pringles can, repeatedly.

That’s a… unique ability

Make him an SC Court judge.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

After recovering from COVID-19, President Marcos is set for another foreign trip, this time in Tokyo.

 

[Super-Chevy454]

I saw that one via a thread on City-data forum.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/politics-other-controversies/3449625-sarasota-county-school-board-votes-4-a.html

https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4356355-florida-school-board-moms-for-liberty-ziegler/

Florida school board approves measure calling Moms for Liberty co-founder to resign​

The Sarasota County School Board in Florida voted 4-1 on Tuesday night calling for the resignation of board member and Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler following a sex scandal.

Board Chair Karen Rose proposed the resolution calling for the resignation, although there is no power of enforcement behind it. Ziegler was the only member to oppose the resolution.

Members of the public addressed the board Tuesday night, largely in support of the resolution requesting Ziegler step down. In comments to the members of the school board before the vote took place Tuesday, Ziegler said she was “disappointed” in the proposed resolution.

Ziegler’s husband, Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler, has been accused of rape. His accuser had reportedly previously had a sexual relationship with both of the Zieglers.

 

[Elwood P. Dowd]

Are you playing 'Whamageddon'? It's the Christmas game you've probably already lost

December 15, 20236:00 AM ET



1-Minute Listen



Have you been "whammed" yet this year?

Pete Still/Redferns

Last weekend, a DJ caused a stir in Britain after playing the hit Wham! song "Last Christmas" at a soccer game in front of about 60,000 people.

A week earlier, another DJ had done the same at a match with 7,000 people, prompting him to apologize in an interview with the BBC.

Why? These tune-slingers had just "whammed" their audience, potentially knocking tens of thousands of people out of a long-running Christmas game.

Confused? Let's back up.

There is a game called Whamaggedon that's popular this time of year — especially in Britain — which consists of not listening to the holiday classic by the '80s pop duo.

Ariana Grande's cover of "Last Christmas."

YouTube

From Dec 1-24, if you listen and recognize the original version of the song, it's game over. Listening to remixes and covers is fine.

"The very moment you have that 'Oh no' feeling in your brain, that's the moment you're out," said Thomas Mertz, who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, and created the game almost two decades ago with some friends.



It's all for fun, there are no prizes, and if you do get "whammed," as Mertz called it, you just drop out.

Mertz made it clear that the song isn't the problem. In fact, he plays it repeatedly the week before the game starts, and again as a sort of celebration after he gets whammed. But he said in the early 2000s in Denmark, you pretty much couldn't go anywhere without hearing those dulcet tones.

Emilia Clarke Sings "Last Christmas."

YouTube

"We were thinking, like, it's frustrating and it's getting to the point of being annoying. But rather than becoming upset about it, we turned it into a game," he said.

The challenge eventually became a hashtag and a Facebook page. It also blew up when Wham! lead singer George Michael died in 2016.

"That created a social storm of attention that the next year kind of launched it into a much, much bigger thing than we ever imagined it could become," Mertz said.

As for tactics, Mertz said he has seen two methods to avoid losing.

"The most effective thing is what people already have, which is noise-canceling headphones," he said. "They are the best tool, hands down, to survive."

A little bit of obliviousness also helps: "A lot of people tell me that they are the kind of people who kind of go through life a little bit oblivious to their surroundings, and they have an easier time of it than most, I think, because they just don't pick up on music."

Listen to All Things Considered each day here or on your local member station for more stories like this.

In Britain, some pubs have even taken the song out of their Christmas playlists, so as to not ruin the game for people. But the whole point of the game is that there is a risk of listening to the song, Mertz said.

So for those who are still in the game, best of luck. For those who are already knocked out, or just want a bit of Wham! magic this holiday season, have another spin of the Christmas classic.

The OG "Last Christmas" by Wham!

YouTube

(+)


Source : https://www.npr.org/2023/12/15/1219...amageddon-game?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us

https://ghostarchive.org/archive/dD3GT

As annoying as the original version is, the Ariana Grande version made me want to fill my ears with candlewax. Wow, was that painful.

Edit: this was stupid, but it did make me laugh.

 

[Super-Chevy454]

I can hear George Michael spinning in his grave when he heard Ariana's cover.

 

[Super-Chevy454]

Sorry for the double post but an iman in Michigan called for jihad.

https://nypost.com/2023/12/15/news/radical-michigan-imam-urges-muslims-to-embrace-jihad/

https://web.archive.org/web/20231216090503/https://nypost.com/2023/12/15/news/radical-michigan-imam-urges-muslims-to-embrace-jihad/

An extremist Michigan cleric whose hate-filled sermons were said to have inspired the London Bridge terrorist attack has called on American Muslims to wage Jihad against the “infidel West” — and blamed the US led by “senile Pharaoh” Biden for what he called a “genocide in Palestine.”

Ahmad Musa Jibril, 51, a radical Islamist preacher who was born in Dearborn, is seen in videos posted on social media arguing that Muslims in the US should turn away from what he described as a watered-down “American-Zionist Islam” that ignores the idea of Jihad.

“Yes, there is holy war in Islam, it is Jihad,” Jibril lectured in one clip posted on X by an account associated with the fanatical imam.

“This may be a surprise to many who grew up in the West, especially those who were born or grew up post-9/11, because of the growing number of hypocrites, who are spreading the American-Zionist Islam, and it has nothing to do with Islam, that version of Islam is and Islam that suits the enemies.”

In another video shared on a Telegram channel associated with Jibril, the hardline Palestinian-American preacher addressed the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, saying it should be viewed as a “wake-up call” for young Muslims in the US to start “normalizing” Jihad.

“Jihad must be a common, normal term on your tongues, on your social media, and in the mosques and elsewhere,” Jibril said.

 

[Coo Coo Bird]

Oddest homes in America include octagonal ‘Goth home’ and the ‘Flintstone House’​

NY Post / Archive

There are some one-of-a-kind homes in America that stick out from the millions of properties that still stand today.

Here are 11 unusual homes in the United States and beyond.

These include the “Flintstone House” in California and a jail cell-equipped house in Ohio.

Recently, a school in Iowa that was turned into a massive mansion had hit the market.

Interestingly, four of the homes on this list are in Illinois and Michigan.

‘Ultimate man cave’ in Michigan has 2 urinals in kitchen​

A three-bedroom ranch-style home in Ferndale, Michigan, made headlines in December 2022 for having two urinals in its kitchen after social media users shared photos of the odd property’s real estate listing.

“This property has definitely been generating a ton of interest,” Heidi Wilson of Keller Williams Advantage, the property’s real estate agent, told Fox News Digital at the time.

“The white structures are urinals. The current owner had them installed because he renovated this to be his ultimate man cave house, so why not?”

The home has only one full bathroom, while the urinal-integrated kitchen has a wet bar that leads to a spacious fenced backyard complete with its own basketball court.

The solo bathroom includes a television hookup for the shower, so games can be watched while showering. The home’s living room also has a removable platform perfect for stadium seating.

“Although some of the features are a bit unique, there has been great attention to detail put into the home, and it has many features that are perfect for the sports enthusiast,” Wilson told Fox News Digital.

“It is located in a prime location close to Downtown Ferndale and Royal Oak.”

The ‘Jurassic Retreat’ in Washington​

A three-bedroom and two-bathroom house in Washougal, Washington, is home to a collection of life-size motion-controlled dinosaurs.

The unique and immersive single-family home has served as an investment property and pays homage to the 1993 film “Jurassic Park.”

Short-term renters who visit the “Jurassic Retreat” are treated to custom dinosaur décor, paleontological details, a lush green landscape and a themed jeep.

The ‘Skinny House’ in Illinois​

An extremely slim home in Deerfield, Illinois, has been dubbed the “Skinny House” for its three-foot-wide construction.

The long side of the two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom house measures nearly 20 feet, Fox News Digital reported.

The Skinny House was built in 2003 and measures over 1,600 square feet and includes a finished basement.

It sits on a 3,920-square-foot triangle lot and has been referred to as the “Pie House” by locals.

The unusual wedge-like home went viral on TikTok in August 2020, and the video that contributed to its online claim to fame has garnered more than 1.4 million views.

School-turned-massive mansion in Iowa​

The 22,000-square-foot property — nicknamed the “Prairie Castle” — has hit the market for $1.75 million.

Friedrich Iowa Realty listing agent Luke Jensen detailed in an interview with Fox News Digital how the original 1923 township school was converted into a private residence.

The school district educated K-12 students in the building until 1991, when it was consolidated into another school.

The three-level, four-bedroom, six-bath home includes other amenities such as a hot tub, two fireplaces and multiple porches, both enclosed and open.

Ohio home with 2 jail cells connected to 1930s gangster​

A four-bedroom and four-bathroom home in Celina, Ohio, includes two jail cells that once belonged to the Allen County Jail in Lima, Ohio.

The jail cells are integrated into the home’s closed floor plan and are situated between the kitchen and the great room.

The home’s former owner reportedly purchased the jail cells after hearing the barred rooms were connected to John Dillinger, a Great Depression-era gangster, and built the two-story house around the cells in 1972.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that Dillinger committed a series of robberies and jailbreaks in the Midwest from 1933 to 1934.

The ‘Smurf House’ in Michigan​

A seven-bedroom and eight-bathroom home in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, has long been nicknamed the “Smurf House” for its striking blue Cotswold cottage-style roof.

The property’s distinct coloring and cottage-like exterior have reminded many locals and social media users of the Belgian comic franchise and animated television series, “The Smurfs.”

The ‘Goth Home’ in Illinois​

There is an octagonal home that has an all-black interior and exterior in Lincoln, Illinois. The striking home was nicknamed the “Goth Home” in December 2021 by Zillow Gone Wild, a multi-platform social media account that shares unusual real estate listings.

The previous owner of the two-bedroom, two-bathroom home told Fox News Digital that he does not identify himself as gothic, and he initially chose to paint the roof black, but he eventually extended the color throughout the rest of the property.

The home’s many windows and unique shape allow natural light to enter and brighten the interior.

The 1,547-square-foot home was originally built in 1993. The home found a buyer in March 2022 and the sale is currently pending, according to multiple listing service data.

House in the middle of a cemetery​

A chapel-turned-home will be available for sale in a few weeks — but those interested can get a sneak peek of the chapel-turned-home ahead of the expected bidding war.

The former chapel is not in the U.S. Located in Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales, United Kingdom, it’s on the market for nearly $73,000 — and is in the middle of a cemetery.

The property goes up for sale on Tuesday, Nov. 7 — and bidding will end on the evening of Nov. 9.

The ‘Flintstone House’ in California​

A three-bedroom home in Hillsborough, California, is known as the “Flintstone House” for its rounded architecture, vibrant colors, dinosaur props and metal sculptures modeled after characters from “The Flintstones,” a popular cartoon series from the early 1960s.

The town of Hillsborough sued the homeowner, Florence Fang, in 2019 for making alterations to her property.

Fang responded to the lawsuit with a counterclaim. Both parties reached a settlement in June 2021 with Hillsborough agreeing to pay Fang $125,000 and Fang agreeing to apply for building permits, according to the Associated Press.

‘Cave house’ reminiscent of ‘The Flintstones’ in Ohio​

In other “Flintstones” real estate news, a unique home in Concord, Ohio, which is built into a cave-like sculpture, just hit the real estate market for $400,000.

The 3,597-square-foot house has five bedrooms and three bathrooms tucked within its cave walls.

Some say it resembles the dwelling where Fred, Wilma and Pebbles resided.

‘Legally’ haunted house in New York​

A home in New York that was legally declared haunted in 1991 by a New York Supreme Court ruling reportedly housed poltergeists who shook beds and slammed doors.

The homeowner who purchased the three-story, 4,600-square-foot Queen Anne Victorian house in Nyack in 1989 sued the previous homeowner for not disclosing the ghostly inhabitants, and the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the buyer.

The home was originally built in the 1890s and faces the Hudson River.

It was expanded to include expanded seven bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Fox News Digital previously reported that the old home has housed several high-profile inhabitants who say they haven’t experienced a haunting, including director-screenwriter Adam Brooks, Jewish rapper Matisyahu and singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson.

 

[Super-Chevy454]

No, this one isn't a headline from the Onion or the Babylon Bee but is it another case where the left eats itself?

https://reduxx.info/germany-gay-pedophile-activists-call-for-lesbians-to-be-removed-from-berlin-lgbt-museum-over-opposition-to-pedophilia/

https://web.archive.org/web/20231217211626/https://reduxx.info/germany-gay-pedophile-activists-call-for-lesbians-to-be-removed-from-berlin-lgbt-museum-over-opposition-to-pedophilia/

GERMANY: Gay Pedophile Activists Call For Lesbians To Be Removed From Berlin LGBT Museum Over Opposition To Pedophilia

A politically connected pro-pedophile activist group in Germany is demanding lesbians be removed from an exhibit at Berlin’s Gay Museum due to their historical opposition to pederasty. Krumme-13 is protesting the Museum, claiming that lesbians “submitted in every way to the anti-pedophile zeitgeist of the heterosexual mainstream.”

The Gay Museum was opened in 1985 and was the first of its kind to be solely dedicated to gay history. In November, the Museum launched an exhibit attempting to critically examine the widespread acceptance of pedophiles in the gay men’s rights movement in the 1980s and 1990 titled “Reappraisal: Sexual violence against children and young people in the spirit of emancipation.”

 

[Super-Chevy454]

Sorry again for the double post but Alec Baldwin was blamed to take the side of Israel.

https://twitter.com/Lowkey0nline/status/1736897259088843047

 

[Breadbassket]

Woman pretended to be Waffle House worker for hours to steal cash, police say​

Riverdale police are looking for a woman who they say pretended to be a Waffle House employee and got away with cash.

The sneaky theft happened at a Waffle House location off the 6500 block of Highway 85 on Dec. 12.

Investigators say the woman worked two hours at the restaurant before opening the cash register and stealing an undetermined amount of money.

Officials shared a surveillance photo of the woman, who was seen wearing the chain's trademark hat.

If you have any information that could help identify the woman, call Riverdale detectives at (770) 996-3382.

Article Link

 

[Coo Coo Bird]

Article Link

But did she get any tips?

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

But did she get any tips?

And whose tip?

 

[CHARizard]

Theres a paywall to the article, but the responses to the tweet are pretty funny.

If marital rape becomes illegal, will men have no reason to marry?

https://twitter.com/timesofindia/status/1737725839712927870

https://archive.ph/odG8W

 

[The Mass Shooter Ron Soye]

Thai farmer creates cat-themed art in his rice field

https://archive.ph/ecIdN

Copyright claim against Tolkien estate backfires on Lord of the Rings fanfiction author

https://archive.ph/6XOVS

 

[Betonhaus]

https://twitter.com/trutsle/status/1737946185917469092

 

[Super-Chevy454]

The journoscums of Poland feel like it was under Martial Law thanks to Donald Tusk.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/its-martial-law-polands-pro-eu-govt-seizes-public-news-channels-massive-police-raid

"It's Like Martial Law" – Poland's Pro-EU Govt Seizes Public News Channels In Massive Police Raid
BY TYLER DURDEN​

FRIDAY, DEC 22, 2023 - 05:00 AM
Authored by Grzegorz Adamczyk via ReMix News,
Poland’s public television news stations went off the air yesterday as police conducted massive raids to seize public news station TVP, with fears becoming realized that Prime Minister Donald Tusk would move quickly to crack down on press freedoms once he assumed power.

A group of senior Law and Justice (PiS) politicians, including party leader Jarosław Kaczyński and former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, arrived at the headquarters of state-run TV broadcaster TVP on Wednesday afternoon as the new pro-EU government moved to seize control of state-run press in dramatic authoritarian fashion.

 

[Cheeseknife]

https://twitter.com/LionelMedia/status/1729939301750710658

 

[oldTireWater]

They left out the part about all her friends being Indian vagrants. I assume the celebration was originally going to be held in the alley behind Walgreens.

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/o...5th-birthday-105-fireball-shots-life-of-party

Ohio woman celebrates 105th birthday with 105 Fireball shots: 'Life of the party'​

Loveland, Ohio, woman celebrates milestone birthday with football and Fireball​

By Brittany Kasko Fox News

Published December 22, 2023 11:55am EST



A woman celebrated her big milestone birthday with over 100 whisky shooters.
Florence Hackman turned 105 on Dec. 16 – marking a major day for the Fireball whisky fan.
Hackman, who goes by "Flo," is a resident at the Traditions of Deerfield assisted living community in Loveland, Ohio, and apparently drinks a bit of Fireball every single day.

Her birthday was no exception. Fireball heard about her love for the cinnamon whisky spirit, and surprised the birthday girl with 105 shooters, according to Traditions of Deerfield.

Hackman was surprised with 105 Fireball shooters in celebration of her big day. (Fireball)

Surrounded by about 50 guests, Hackman celebrated her birthday by watching the Cincinnati Bengals and drinking Fireball.

Hackman celebrated her 105th birthday by watching the Cincinnati Bengals play football at Traditions of Deerfield — and by drinking some Fireball. (Fireball)

"It was a totally unexpected thing," Hackman said.
Hackman was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Dec. 16, 1918, and worked for an insurance company before becoming a homemaker later in life, according to Traditions of Deerfield.

Hackman loves Fireball and apparently drinks some of the whisky every single day. (iStock)

She was also described as the "life of the party" and someone who reminds the community "how joyful life can be as we age."

"It was a totally unexpected thing."

Hackman said she was "thrilled" to be surprised with 105 Fireball shooters for her 105th birthday. (Fireball/iStock)

The Cincinnati Bengals won the game against the Minnesota Vikings on Hackman’s birthday The score was 27-24.
Fox News Digital reached out to Fireball for comment.

 

[Betonhaus]

The City That’s Trying to Replace Politicians With Computers (It’s Working) / archive

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil — In a country with a history of corruption and government inefficiency, Councilman Ramiro Rosário has come up with what he believes is a winning strategy to improve the work of politicians: replace them with computers

 

[Super-Chevy454]

Talk about an eerie concidence, a shooting happened in the Paddock Mall in Ocala, Florida.

https://abc7chicago.com/1-killed-in-florida-mall-shooting-police-release-photo-of-person-o/14219198/

One person was killed and another injured in an apparent targeted shooting at a Florida mall two days before Christmas, police said.

Authorities have released this image of a person of interest in the Saturday afternoon shooting at the Paddock Mall in Ocala.

The slain victim -- 40-year-old David Nathaniel Barron -- was found dead in a common area of the mall when police arrived, authorities said. He is believed to have been the target, Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken told reporters during a press briefing.

A woman was shot and injured and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

Other injuries stemming from the incident included chest pains and a broken arm, Balken said.