Mastershit

Context

> Bluesky said it’s working to comply with European Union rules after the bloc accused the fast-growing social media platform of flouting its digital regulations. > >The company is consulting with its lawyer to follow the EU’s information disclosure rules, a Bluesky spokesperson wrote Tuesday in an email. > >Bluesky, which was started in 2019 as a decentralized version of Twitter, has exploded in popularity in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory, as many X users have sought alternatives to the Elon Musk-owned platform. > >The EU’s executive arm on Monday said Bluesky didn’t provide information it was required to share under the bloc’s Digital Services Act, which governs content on social media sites. > >“All platforms in the EU have to have a dedicated page on their websites where it says how many user numbers they have in the EU and where they are legally established,” Thomas Regnier, the commission’s spokesperson on digital matters, told reporters. “This is not the case with Bluesky, so this is not followed.”

Archive

> “The Amityville Horror” house may still be “haunted” 50 years after the real-life massacre that inspired the book and movies, neighbors and a paranormal expert close to the case claim. > >The Long Island home could still have “dormant” demonic entities inside, waiting to be reawoken and conjured anew years after the infamous 1974 murder of six family members there. > >“Absolutely. I believe there are more things in this world that we don’t understand, and I don’t discount the possibility at all,” said Fran Walters, who has lived next door for the last 28 years. > > ... > > The house has long attracted curiosity seekers over its claims that it is haunted, but the legends began with a real-life crime on Nov. 13, 1974. > >DeFeo rose from bed with a .35 caliber rifle in his hands and executed his parents and four siblings as they slept. > >He then got dressed, and went to work. It wasn’t until hours later that DeFeo burst into a neighborhood bar and claimed somebody had attacked his family. > >The next year DeFeo was sentenced to life in prison, but he spent his life blaming a long list of others — at one point reportedly claiming “voices” coming from the house urged him to do it. > >Though DeFeo was believed to be a heavy drug user, famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren — who have since been fictionalized in “The Conjuring” series of movies — came to believe he was performing satanic rituals, and those voices may have been demonic forces he unleashed on the house. > > ... > > As DeFeo was being sentenced, George and Kathy Lutz moved into the Amityville house with their three kids at a bargain price of $80,000. > >Over the next 28 days, the family claimed they were harassed by a host of terrifying happenings — including levitations and visions of hags, the children sleeping face-down just as the DeFeos bodies were found, freezing temperatures while fireplaces raged, and slime oozing from walls and doors. > > ... > > Months later the Lutzes inked a book deal to tell their story, with “The Amityville Horror: A Story,” which came out in 1977 and was an immediate success, sparking an even more successful film and sequels. > >Though many wrote it off as a hoax — DeFeo’s own attorney, William Weber, later claimed he and the family concocted the story over several bottles of wine — the Lutz parents stood by their story for life. > >And while the house has changed hands numerous times since the Lutzes left, none of the owners have ever reported any hauntings over those five decades — something Spera thinks doesn’t necessarily mean the Lutzes were lying, or that whatever haunted them is really gone. > >“Ed used to not want to talk very much about it, because he said the more recognition you give to it, the more likely something would happen. It depends on the entity, too, that might be at that house. It may lay dormant for years,” Spera said. > >“There could possibly — and I’m emphasizing the word possibly — still be something dormant in that structure that could reignite with either recognition, or somebody doing rituals in the house, incantations, or a family that is susceptible to hauntings — in other words, a family that’s weak-willed, or someone in the house that’s weak-willed.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/20587575

> > Glass cases house beautifully displayed arm-candy at the latest new entry on a reviving Oxford Street in central London. > > > >This is not a designer handbag purveyor but a store dedicated to Ikea’s signature bright blue Frakta carrier bag – a pop-up shop paving the way for the home furnishing retailer’s delayed move into a larger store on-site, which is due to open next year. > > > >Filled with quirky social-media-friendly gimmicks including a service button to call up blue candy floss from a curtained window and a blue mirrored room intended to mimic entering a Frakta bag, the small shop has opened after construction issues prompted delays to the main store. Ikea had originally hoped to open the larger store last autumn, but building work was delayed by problems including water leaking into the basement.

> Glass cases house beautifully displayed arm-candy at the latest new entry on a reviving Oxford Street in central London. > >This is not a designer handbag purveyor but a store dedicated to Ikea’s signature bright blue Frakta carrier bag – a pop-up shop paving the way for the home furnishing retailer’s delayed move into a larger store on-site, which is due to open next year. > >Filled with quirky social-media-friendly gimmicks including a service button to call up blue candy floss from a curtained window and a blue mirrored room intended to mimic entering a Frakta bag, the small shop has opened after construction issues prompted delays to the main store. Ikea had originally hoped to open the larger store last autumn, but building work was delayed by problems including water leaking into the basement.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/20587411

> >A man has become the first in the UK to be arrested over videos filmed of women on nights out without their consent, with some in vulnerable states. > > > >The 27-year-old from Bradford was taken into custody on suspicion of stalking and harassment after reports of women being followed, filmed and harassed in Manchester city centre. > > > > ... > > > > Though filming on a public street is not a crime, it can cross the line into harassment, and women who discovered they had been targeted were asked to report it to police. > > > >Greater Manchester police (GMP) said they had received a number of reports and, while investigating, found more content locked under paywalled accounts, which included footage of suspected non-consensual nudity and upskirting. > > > >The arrest is thought to be the first of its kind in the country linked with viral videos of women filmed on nights out, some of them while drunk or alone on the street.

>A man has become the first in the UK to be arrested over videos filmed of women on nights out without their consent, with some in vulnerable states. > >The 27-year-old from Bradford was taken into custody on suspicion of stalking and harassment after reports of women being followed, filmed and harassed in Manchester city centre. > > ... > > Though filming on a public street is not a crime, it can cross the line into harassment, and women who discovered they had been targeted were asked to report it to police. > >Greater Manchester police (GMP) said they had received a number of reports and, while investigating, found more content locked under paywalled accounts, which included footage of suspected non-consensual nudity and upskirting. > >The arrest is thought to be the first of its kind in the country linked with viral videos of women filmed on nights out, some of them while drunk or alone on the street.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/20542450

> > > While investigating the history of a newly discovered ancient artifact, a renowned archaeologist (Jackie Chan) unwittingly establishes a mystical connection with a heroic Han dynasty general, blurring the lines between past and present right as the general prepares to wage war against the brutal Hun army. > > Featuring a de-aged Jackie Chan!

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/20579496

> > Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is set to confirm the Government will consult on easing rules related to the phasing-out of new petrol and diesel cars, the PA news agency understands. > > > >The Cabinet minister is expected to use a speech to the automotive industry on Tuesday night to announce that changes to flexibilities available to manufacturers as part of the zero-emission vehicles (Zev) mandate will be proposed. > > > > Under the mandate, at least 22% of new cars sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric. > > > >The threshold will rise annually, including to 28% in 2025. > > > >Under the current rules, the mandate will reach 80% by 2030, but the Government has committed to bring the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans forward from 2035 to 2030. > > > > Failure to abide by the mandate or make use of flexibilities – such as buying credits from rival companies or making more sales in future years – will result in a requirement to pay the Government £15,000 per polluting car sold above the limits. > > > >The consultation, which will be launched in the coming weeks, is unlikely to propose changes to the mandate’s percentages. > > > >It will include amendments to the options for how non-compliant manufacturers can avoid fines.

> Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is set to confirm the Government will consult on easing rules related to the phasing-out of new petrol and diesel cars, the PA news agency understands. > >The Cabinet minister is expected to use a speech to the automotive industry on Tuesday night to announce that changes to flexibilities available to manufacturers as part of the zero-emission vehicles (Zev) mandate will be proposed. > > Under the mandate, at least 22% of new cars sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric. > >The threshold will rise annually, including to 28% in 2025. > >Under the current rules, the mandate will reach 80% by 2030, but the Government has committed to bring the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans forward from 2035 to 2030. > > Failure to abide by the mandate or make use of flexibilities – such as buying credits from rival companies or making more sales in future years – will result in a requirement to pay the Government £15,000 per polluting car sold above the limits. > >The consultation, which will be launched in the coming weeks, is unlikely to propose changes to the mandate’s percentages. > >It will include amendments to the options for how non-compliant manufacturers can avoid fines.

> Gregg Wallace is to step away from presenting MasterChef while allegations of historical misconduct are investigated, the show's production company has said. > >It comes after BBC News sent a letter to Wallace’s representatives on Tuesday setting out allegations of inappropriate sexual comments by 13 people who worked with him across a range of shows over a 17-year period. > >Broadcaster Kirsty Wark, who was a Celebrity MasterChef contestant in 2011, said he told "sexualised" jokes during filming. > >Wallace's lawyers say it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature. Masterchef's production company Banijay UK has launched an investigation and said Wallace is co-operating.

> A New Mexico man received what lawyers are calling the largest medical malpractice payout in history. A jury decided this week that he will receive more than $400 million in damages for botched penile injections. > >The $412,005,149 verdict was against NuMale Medical Center on Wyoming and Paseo for what attorneys called fraud and unfair business practices. According to the lawsuit, the man in his 70s sought treatment for fatigue and weight loss at NuMale’s Albuquerque clinic in 2017. > >Attorneys said the clinic misdiagnosed him and unnecessarily treated him with “invasive erectile dysfunction shots,” causing irreversible damage. “This corporate scheme manipulates and uses fear as a tactic to convince these men to do this,” Nick Rowley, a trial lawyer, told KRQE News 13. > > The lawyers said their client went through multiple rounds of medication and procedures, and he underwent surgery by an unqualified physician assistant.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/20565434

> > Len Deighton published his first spy novel, The Ipcress File, shortly after the blockbuster success of the very first Bond movie, Dr. No. When The Ipcress File became a bestseller, Bond producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli tapped Deighton to pen the script for the sequel, From Russia with Love. Not much of his screenplay made it to the final film, but the producers enjoyed working with Deighton. > > > >Saltzman decided to adapt The Ipcress File for the screen in the hope of launching a second spy movie franchise that could run alongside the Bond films. He cast Caine to play the lead role of Palmer, with the aim of bringing him back for an endless string of sequels. The Ipcress File was conceived as the polar opposite of the Bond films, with a naturalistic style drawing from the world of kitchen-sink drama. It seemed like a sure-fire path to success, but the Palmer movies never reached the same blockbuster heights as the Bond movies. > > > > ... > > > > Palmer’s stories are the opposite of Bond’s in every way. Whereas the Bond movies offered lighthearted escapism, the Palmer movies offered gritty realism. Whereas Bond is characterized as posh and upper-class, Palmer is a working-class hero. Whereas the Bond films carried an optimistic message about good triumphing over evil and maintaining the world order, the Palmer films took a bleaker and more pessimistic approach to their storytelling. The cynical tone and grounded, naturalistic style of the Palmer movies had more in common with John le Carré’s espionage stories than 007’s globetrotting adventures.

> Len Deighton published his first spy novel, The Ipcress File, shortly after the blockbuster success of the very first Bond movie, Dr. No. When The Ipcress File became a bestseller, Bond producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli tapped Deighton to pen the script for the sequel, From Russia with Love. Not much of his screenplay made it to the final film, but the producers enjoyed working with Deighton. > >Saltzman decided to adapt The Ipcress File for the screen in the hope of launching a second spy movie franchise that could run alongside the Bond films. He cast Caine to play the lead role of Palmer, with the aim of bringing him back for an endless string of sequels. The Ipcress File was conceived as the polar opposite of the Bond films, with a naturalistic style drawing from the world of kitchen-sink drama. It seemed like a sure-fire path to success, but the Palmer movies never reached the same blockbuster heights as the Bond movies. > > ... > > Palmer’s stories are the opposite of Bond’s in every way. Whereas the Bond movies offered lighthearted escapism, the Palmer movies offered gritty realism. Whereas Bond is characterized as posh and upper-class, Palmer is a working-class hero. Whereas the Bond films carried an optimistic message about good triumphing over evil and maintaining the world order, the Palmer films took a bleaker and more pessimistic approach to their storytelling. The cynical tone and grounded, naturalistic style of the Palmer movies had more in common with John le Carré’s espionage stories than 007’s globetrotting adventures.

They are:

71. Larry Hama's initial run on G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero -158 points (3 first place votes) [G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1-7, 10-19, 21-118, 120-142, 144-152, 155]
72. Roy Thomas' Avengers – 157 points (1 first place vote) [The Avengers #35-104]
73. Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins' Flash – 153 points (2 first place votes) [Flash (Vol.2) #164-225]
74. Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men – 151 points (2 first place votes) [Astonishing X-Men #1-24, Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1]
75. Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo's Nightwing - 150 points (4 first place votes) [Nightwing #78-118]

Previously:

• 100-96
• 95-91
• 90-86
• 85-81
• 80-76

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/20547838

> > I was drawn to this graphic novel by its Liverpool setting. A brief flick revealed colour-suffused images of landmarks that I’ve come to love thanks to my scouse husband: the curved iron and glass roof of Lime Street station; the twin clock towers of the Royal Liver Building; even the space-age crow’s nest that sits atop St Johns Beacon, AKA the Radio City Tower. Chris Shepherd, who drew and wrote Anfield Road, grew up in the city, and his affection for it, even in the bleakest of times, can be felt on every page. When he gives us a series of drawings of the magnificent but (at the time the book is set) sorely neglected St George’s Hall, the murmuration of starlings that rises above it eventually forms the shape of a heart. > > > > In the end, though, it was Shepherd’s story that made me hang around. A bildungsroman set in the 1980s, it’s about a teenage boy called Conor who lives with his grandmother, Mary, in a terraced house in Anfield Road, home of Liverpool FC. For Conor’s peers, this is a dream address. When the art teacher at their comprehensive asks the class to draw their heroes, the boys all sketch the Liverpool striker Ian Rush, the picture copied from the cover of Look-in magazine. But Conor has never even been to a match. His dreams are of London, where he hopes to attend art college, and by doing so escape his dysfunctional family.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/20547838

> > I was drawn to this graphic novel by its Liverpool setting. A brief flick revealed colour-suffused images of landmarks that I’ve come to love thanks to my scouse husband: the curved iron and glass roof of Lime Street station; the twin clock towers of the Royal Liver Building; even the space-age crow’s nest that sits atop St Johns Beacon, AKA the Radio City Tower. Chris Shepherd, who drew and wrote Anfield Road, grew up in the city, and his affection for it, even in the bleakest of times, can be felt on every page. When he gives us a series of drawings of the magnificent but (at the time the book is set) sorely neglected St George’s Hall, the murmuration of starlings that rises above it eventually forms the shape of a heart. > > > > In the end, though, it was Shepherd’s story that made me hang around. A bildungsroman set in the 1980s, it’s about a teenage boy called Conor who lives with his grandmother, Mary, in a terraced house in Anfield Road, home of Liverpool FC. For Conor’s peers, this is a dream address. When the art teacher at their comprehensive asks the class to draw their heroes, the boys all sketch the Liverpool striker Ian Rush, the picture copied from the cover of Look-in magazine. But Conor has never even been to a match. His dreams are of London, where he hopes to attend art college, and by doing so escape his dysfunctional family.

> I was drawn to this graphic novel by its Liverpool setting. A brief flick revealed colour-suffused images of landmarks that I’ve come to love thanks to my scouse husband: the curved iron and glass roof of Lime Street station; the twin clock towers of the Royal Liver Building; even the space-age crow’s nest that sits atop St Johns Beacon, AKA the Radio City Tower. Chris Shepherd, who drew and wrote Anfield Road, grew up in the city, and his affection for it, even in the bleakest of times, can be felt on every page. When he gives us a series of drawings of the magnificent but (at the time the book is set) sorely neglected St George’s Hall, the murmuration of starlings that rises above it eventually forms the shape of a heart. > > In the end, though, it was Shepherd’s story that made me hang around. A bildungsroman set in the 1980s, it’s about a teenage boy called Conor who lives with his grandmother, Mary, in a terraced house in Anfield Road, home of Liverpool FC. For Conor’s peers, this is a dream address. When the art teacher at their comprehensive asks the class to draw their heroes, the boys all sketch the Liverpool striker Ian Rush, the picture copied from the cover of Look-in magazine. But Conor has never even been to a match. His dreams are of London, where he hopes to attend art college, and by doing so escape his dysfunctional family.

>Chinese state media is reportedly troubled by the latest exodus of X users flocking to Bluesky. State outlets, which put considerable resources into amassing millions of followers on Elon Musk’s social media platform — including by buying ads, deploying bots, and hiring influencers — have recently seen their growth plateau. > >The growing popularity of Bluesky, which has a largely liberal base and harder-to-manipulate algorithm, has sparked “worried chatter within Chinese state media circles,” a former Xinhua and China Daily employee wrote in his newsletter. He predicted the accounts will migrate to Bluesky, though it may take time. For now, the sector’s focus has shifted back to domestic, Mandarin-language channels and platforms like Bilibili, WeChat, and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

> The Proclaimers are to perform at this weekend’s memorial service for former First Minister Alex Salmond, alongside folk musician Dougie MacLean and the singer Sheena Wellington. > >The Reid brothers, who have long been supporters of an independent Scotland, are to perform their 1988 single, Cap in Hand, at a service to remember Mr Salmond at the weekend. > >The song, which includes the lyrics, “But I can't understand why we let someone else rule our land”, became an anthem of the Scottish independence movement during the 2014 referendum, when Mr Salmond headed up the Scottish National Party (SNP). > >The service for the politician, which friends and family said would allow people to say farewell to the former first minister and reflect on his life and achievements, is to take place at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on Saturday, St Andrew’s Day