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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."
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J. Cole let hip-hop down​

Sowmya Krishnamurthy
Tue, April 9, 2024 at 11:06 AM EDT·5 min read

  • J. Cole regretted releasing "7 Minute Drill," dissing Kendrick Lamar.
  • Hip-hop is built on competition, tracing back to Black oral traditions and New York street gangs.
  • Some rap media pundits have surprisingly sided with Cole's apology, shifting the conversation to self-care.
In 2013, J. Cole released a tribute to his favorite rapper, "Let Nas Down." This weekend, he made another confession: He let Kendrick Lamar down.

While onstage for his annual Dreamville Festival in his native North Carolina last weekend, Cole expressed regret for releasing "7 Minute Drill," in what was widely interpreted as a diss record to his former friend, two days before. Despite the song's nomenclature, it was a three-minute and 30-second response to Kendrick's terse verse on "Like That," where he aimed at Cole and Drake.

On his song, Cole harangued Kendrick for having a lackluster catalog and claimed that he had bested him with his recent impressive run/

"Your first shit was classic, your last shit was tragic/Your second shit put niggas to sleep, but they gassed it/ Your third shit was massive, and that was your prime/ I was trailin' right behind, and I just now hit mine."

The diss more about how Kendrick's albums — the polarizing "To Pimp A Butterfly" and "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers" — were received by critics and fans was more of a light jab than a total knockout.

Fans expected, and almost wished, that Cole would up the ante in front of thousands in his home state just like Jay-Z aired out his adversaries in 2001 at Hot 97's Summer Jam with "Takeover."

Instead, Cole went on a remorseful monologue about being pressured to release "7 Minute Drill" and confessed he was already ready to wave the white flag despite throwing out the first shots, with his verse on the aptly-named "First Person Shooter."

"It's one part of that shit that makes me feel like, man, that's the lamest shit I did in my fuckin' life, right? And I know this is not what a lot of people want to hear," the 39-year-old lamented.

Actually, the apology and the aftermath were the lamest shit, Cole.

The hip-hop class Cole skipped: Fight night​

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Hip-hop is built on competition, harkening back to its origins in Black oral traditions—such as "playing the dozens"—to New York City, where rival street gangs gave way to breakdancers, DJs, and emcees.

"Competition fueled the whole thing," DJ Kool Herc, hip-hop's godfather, said in Jeff Chang's 2005 history chronicle, "Can't Stop Won't Stop."

Hip-hop, unlike other musical genres, has fight in its DNA. Throughout its 50-year history, rappers have barked, battled, and knocked their way up to the crown, leading to ferocious battles between heavyweights, neophytes, record labels, and regions. It's been so rife with conflict that even friends, like Jay-Z and The Notorious BIG, would spar (in a brotherly way) on tracks.

Every era has its match-ups: Biggie v. Tupac in the East Coast-West Coast rivalry; Jay v. Nas for the King of New York throne; and Jeezy v. Gucci Mane for trap superiority. Cole, Kendrick, and Drake grew up bopping their heads to these battles and ostensibly studying and admiring them.

Kendrick superiority​

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Kendrick has long drawn a line between himself and his closest rap peers.

"Motherfuck the big three, n—, it's just big me," he barked on "Like That," a collaboration with Future and producer Metro Boomin, released last month.

With his ferocious delivery and one of the strongest discographies in hip-hop, despite what Cole intimated, Kendrick has been the one to beat for a long time.

Kendrick released a haymaker verse on 2013's "Control" and boasted he was the best in class. "I got love for you all, but I'm tryna murder you n—s," he rapped, "What is competition? I'm tryna raise the bar high."

Since that feature on Big Sean's record, there have been subliminals from all sides but no direct shots, which is unfortunate, given how well-matched Cole, Kendrick, and Drake are as contemporaries. For whatever reason, Kendrick is rap's boogeyman, and everyone is afraid to say his name.

Until now, but look how that played out.

Rap media pundits have weighed in and, some surprisingly, sided with Cole forfeiting. The discussion has gone from an exciting rap battle and respect for sportsmanship to male therapy and self-care.

"My timeline is full of people not understanding what Cole did," Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Cole's energy didn't feel right on that song and he knew it. He's a good man."

Even Charlamagne Tha God, the consummate celebrity needler, gave the rapper grace. "The rap fan in me understands the disappointment many of you feeling, but the man in me who understands the spiritual being living a human existence has nothing but respect for J. Cole," he said on "The Breakfast Club."

Funny: J. Cole had no problems going up against female rapper No Name on "Snow on Tha Bluff" in 2020 (and he doubled down on his song by writing on X, "Morning. I stand behind every word of the song that dropped last night") or against Kanye West on "False Prophets" in 2016, back when he had something to prove.

Surrendering sets a precedent for rewarding participation with trophies. Rappers have become so consumed with being bros, worried about offending their political connections, and cozying up for selfies on Instagram that the lifeblood has been drained from hip-hop in recent years (the notable exception is female rappers, who have remained doggedly competitive).

Hot 97's Ebro Darden agrees, writing in part on X, "You can't EVER be considered THE BEST of a generation in rap after playing your cards this way."

If fans want the next 50 years of hip-hop to be great, the greatest artists need to step up. Don't let hip-hop down.

 
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In Spain, there is a saying - "Me cago en la leche" or "I shit in the milk". It means you unintentionally hurt yourself, fucked something up, or ruined everything.

That saying rings true today, as Daniel Gomez del Barrio, hithero serving as the head of the Department of Youth, Children, and Family, tendered his resignation. He was a prominent member of a local cell of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE).

The scandal began when videos surfaced of Daniel engaging in "humiliation porn" where he is kicked, berated, and even forced to drink piss and eat shit.

Strangely enough, locals and members of the Socialist Party stated that they already knew of the videos beforehand, and the mayor still elected him to the position. However, Daniel has decided to abandon politics and move into a more private life, with some suggesting that there may be even more footage out there that may surface as time moves on.

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US diplomat turned Cuban spy jailed for 15 years​


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An ex-career diplomat who once served as US ambassador to Bolivia has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for working as an agent for Cuba.

Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, secretly passed information to the Cuban government for more than 40 years, according to prosecutors.

In February, Rocha changed his initial not guilty plea in a Miami court and ensured he would avoid a trial.

The espionage case is among the highest profile ever between the US and Cuba.

Dressed in a beige jail uniform on Friday, Rocha told a federal courtroom in Miami: "I plead guilty."


In addition to prison, Rocha must also pay a $500,000 fine and cooperate with authorities.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland referred to Rocha's crimes as "one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the US government by a foreign agent".

The Colombian-born, Yale and Harvard-educated Rocha served as US ambassador to Bolivia between 1999 and 2022, as well as in a variety of other diplomatic postings in Argentina, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

He also served in other government roles, including one with the National Security Council.

After his diplomatic service ended, Rocha served as a consultant for the US military's Southern Command, which oversees all of Latin America and the Caribbean - including communist Cuba.


In November 2022, an undercover FBI agent contacted Rocha on WhatsApp and claimed to be working on behalf of Cuba's intelligence service. The agent said he was delivering a message from "your friends in Havana", according to court documents.

Over the course of three subsequent meetings, Rocha revealed details of his previous espionage on Cuba's behalf. At one point, Rocha used the term "we" to describe Cuba and himself, vowing to "protect" what "we" have done together.

When asked whether he was "still with us", Rocha told the undercover agent that he was "angry" that his loyalty to the Cuban regime was being questioned. "It's like questioning my manhood," he said.

The US has had a tense relationship with Cuba ever since Fidel Castro overthrew the island's US-backed government in 1959, a revolution that was swiftly followed by a US trade embargo.


While then-president Barack Obama and former Cuban President Raul Castro took steps to normalise relations in 2015, many of those actions were reversed by the Trump administration.

In an interview with the BBC, former CIA counter-intelligence chief James Olson said the case was emblematic of how Cuba's intelligence service "beat" their US adversaries over the decades.

"They owned us," Mr Olson said. "That's one of the reasons I have this personal grudge against the Cuban intelligence service because they have been so successful in operating against us."

Mr Olson referred to Rocha as a "traitor".

"He betrayed our country," he said. "I think that's contemptible, and I don't think he's going to see the light of day again."
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Japan gets an Omegaverse anime, which as far as I'm aware is the very first manpreg work in existence outside of fanfiction and erotic stories. Not that I've looked very hard as the whole concept skeeves me out.
Masaki Fujiyoshi is a stay-at-home spouse and parent. He has fought long and hard with feelings of being a burden to his loving husband, Hiromu, due to his status as an omega—a secondary gender, allowing one to give birth regardless of if they are male or female— and the difficulty they faced to achieve this domesticity. When their son, Hikari, was born, the family moved to an area better suited for raising children.

Hikari is now nearing his second birthday, and he and his parents are forging meaningful bonds with those around them. These include the beta college student living next door, Yuuki, to whom Hikari has become rather attached; Hiromu's friend from work Matsuo; and the mysterious single dad seen wandering around the park.
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Haloperidol said:
Probably not worthy of a full thread but a circus elephant got loose in Butte, MT yesterday and was just wandering the streets for a bit.
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He was recaptured though. Free my nigga!
[Article] [Archive]
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If it wasn't Montana and elephants weren't social, I'd say to leave him alone. The western US could use some megafauna again.
 
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Red Lobster considering Chapter 11 bankruptcy after blaming $11 MILLION loss on its 'endless shrimp' promotion
  • The seafood chain is contemplating a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing
  • Red Lobster has struggled with expensive labor and leases on restaurants
  • A decision was not yet finalized but would allow the chain to continue operating
Struggling restaurant chain Red Lobster is considering filing for bankruptcy as high costs and low sales ground the business.

The brand is reportedly eyeing up a possible Chapter 11 filing to restructure its debt, allowing it to discard long-term contracts and renegotiate new leases.

Red Lobster's cash flows have been hit by expensive leases and high labor costs.

It comes after the company last year reported record losses of $11 million, which its CFO partly blamed on its unlimited shrimp deal.

The chain, which started as a single restaurant in Lakeland, Florida, in 1968 has around 650 locations across almost all states. It's famous for its cheese-flavored biscuits.
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noooo
 
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Haloperidol said:
Probably not worthy of a full thread but a circus elephant got loose in Butte, MT yesterday and was just wandering the streets for a bit.
View attachment 5914797
He was recaptured though. Free my nigga!
[Article] [Archive]
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Thankfully it ended fast you know It could end worse.

Betonhaus said:
Red Lobster considering Chapter 11 bankruptcy after blaming $11 MILLION loss on its 'endless shrimp' promotion

noooo
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This actually isn’t the first time this happened. The had an incident with crab legs back in the day that almost bankrupted them. They have a tendency to Hail Mary with a endless seafood special to bring in customers that usually almost bankrupts them each time. They will probably be fine.
 
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eatler said:
This actually isn’t the first time this happened. The had an incident with crab legs back in the day that almost bankrupted them. They have a tendency to Hail Mary with a endless seafood special to bring in customers that usually almost bankrupts them each time. They will probably be fine.
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Something like that is like feeding feral cats but with fatties. Don't they realize they're just inviting a swarm of bottomless stomachs to take advantage of that?
 
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