Sunday, June 30, 2013

Facebook - Not down and out

Facebook: Not as Down and Out as You Think

By | The Exchange – Fri, Jun 28, 2013 5:17 PM EDT
Your teenage daughter hates it, your mom never checks it and half your friends have stopped posting. And everyone's switching to WhatsApp and MessageMe and Snapchat, right? It seems that Facebook (FB) may be on its way out, yet another web fad tossed on the scrap heap with Myspace and AOL (AOL).
AFP
Not so fast – for all the Facebook fatigue and rising competition, the current reigning social network champ still has chops. And the world’s biggest social network is on a buying spree to bolster its appeal and one-up the best features of the competition.
Think Instagram – Facebook snapped up the photo-sharing site for $1 billion last year, adding on a top site for teens who were starting to avoid Facebook's own pages. Then this month, Facebook added video to the Instagram service; it's similar to Twitter's Vine, but – among other differences – longer by a whole nine seconds. And the service is catching on fast; in just a week, the number of Instagram videos posted on Twitter surpassed those from Vine.
Sure, it’s true that Facebook’s overall user growth is slowing – the number of monthly active users has been hovering around the 1 billion level for almost a year. And it’s also true that, in the United States, there are some signs of fatigue – a Pew Research Center survey found 27% of U.S. Facebook users planned to cut back on their usage this year. And smaller competitors – some you never heard of, such as tango.me and Glassboard – are growing fast.
But Facebook has some overlooked strengths and has been moving quickly to get a jump on some of its faster-growing peers. And even as user growth slowed in the United States, it’s still accelerating in Asia and emerging markets.
Menlo Park, start your photocopiers
One of the easiest ways for Facebook to keep its users from moving is to give them more of what they want in Facebook and Instagram, such as the new video service. Another example: With teens flocking to alternative text messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook engineers revamped their own messaging app to include SMS texting. The floating Chatheads have proven to be an appealingly fun way to trade quips.
That said, not all Facebook's homegrown efforts to add features have caught on; its "Home" overlay for Android fans, for example, was a dud. The recent HTC Facebook phone has also seen sluggish sales.
If you can’t beat them, buy them
Facebook’s initial public offering gave the company a currency most of its competitors don’t have – public stock. That helped reel in Instagram; most of the payment was in Facebook shares. Smaller deals work, too. Facebook bought personal blogging site Storylane in March. Technology from the site could be used to beef up Facebook's feeds and help fight Tumblr’s appeal to the younger crowd.
Still, Facebook has seen competitors strike back via M&A deals. Google (GOOG) grabbed social mapping app Waze, and Yahoo! bought Tumblr, strengthening their own social offerings and keeping the popular upstarts out of Facebook’s grasp.
It’s not personal. It’s business
Facebook has also played tough with some competitors that may have been trying to piggyback on the company’s massive reach. When a new messaging app, MessageMe, started to take off earlier this year – in part thanks to integration with Facebook users' friend lists – Facebook cut the service off. It has done much the same to others, including Path and Vine.
Enemy of my enemy
Facebook isn’t in competition with everyone and it has acquired some pretty hefty allies. Seeking to hold off Google, Facebook partnered with Microsoft’s (MSFT) Bing search engine to deliver results that tie in to a user's Facebook network. Unfortunately for Facebook, Bing hasn’t made much progress in reducing Google’s share of search traffic.
Probably more important, Facebook won Apple’s (AAPL) approval for deep integration on iPhones and iPads. Facebook and Twitter started as the only social networks built in for sharing in Apple’s iOS. The upcoming version 7 of iOS adds a few new partners, including Vimeo for video and Flickr for photos, but Facebook remains its only broad social network.
Sure, it's tough to be number one. But Facebook is hardly teetering on the brink of obscurity.
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Did DC kill superman?

"Man of Steel" Is a Winner, but Did DC Destroy Superman In the Process?

By | More Articles | Save For Later
June 30, 2013 | Comments (1)
Man of Steel broke the June record for a box office debut and has raked in more than $400 million in ticket sales as of this writing. But is the payoff worth it? Fool contributor Tim Beyers says DC Entertainment parent Time Warner (NYSE: TWX  ) is taking a big risk by making Superman unrecognizable at times during the film.

A darker tale, spun by director Zack Snyder with help from screenwriter David S. Goyer and executive producer Christopher Nolan, Man of Steel saw a 65% drop in grosses in its second weekend, according to data compiled by Box Office Mojo.
Could it be because Henry Cavill's Superman is no boy scout? Unlike the common legend of the hero who stands for "truth, justice, and the American way," Snyder and Goyer show us a shy, confused, and angry "hero" who transforms into a living weapon of mass destruction on screen, Tim says.

Audiences say they enjoy the film. Of the more than 81,000 to rate it at Rotten Tomatoes, 82% say they like it. Iron Man 3 earns a similar score, but on more than 200,000 ratings.
Meanwhile, Man of Steel is left to contend with another surprise Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS  ) hit, Monsters University, as it continues its run in theaters. (The return of Mike and Sully -- the lovable characters from Pixar's Monsters Inc. -- opened with $82.4 million at the U.S. gate.)
Will Man of Steel regain box office momentum this weekend? Maybe. For investors, what matters is that Snyder and Goyer have introduced a version of Superman that is materially different from what watchers of the earlier movies and old TV shows will remember. Think of it as an all-in bet on the future of Warner's oldest and perhaps most vital brand, Tim says.

Do you like the new Superman? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take on Time Warner's strategy, and then let us know whether you saw Man of Steel, and if so, what you thought of the film.
A super stock
The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for this year. Find out more in the special free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." Your copy, and access to the name of this under-the-radar company, is just a click away.
Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the Motley Fool Rule Breakers stock-picking team and the Motley Fool Supernova Odyssey I mission. He owned shares of Walt Disney and Time Warner at the time of publication. Check out Tim's Web home and portfolio holdings or connect with him on Google+, Tumblr, or Twitter, where he goes by @milehighfool. You can also get his insights delivered directly to your RSS reader.
The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Walt Disney. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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Friday, June 28, 2013

Cameron Diaz confirmed for Annie remake

Cameron Diaz to Play Miss Hannigan in Will Smith and Jay-Z's 'Annie' Remake

By Jeff Sneider | The Wrap – Thu, Jun 27, 2013 12:16 AM EDT
After a successful collaboration on "Bad Teacher," Sony has turned to Cameron Diaz to play Miss Hannigan in a remake of "Annie" that the studio is producing with Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment banner, an individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap.
Diaz joins the project after Sandra Bullock walked away from the role not once, but twice.
Hannigan, of course, is the meanie who runs the orphanage where Annie and her friends live. Carol Burnett memorably played the role in the original 1982 film, and Sony has sought to cast an actress with comedic chops and international appeal.
Also read: Sandra Bullock Won't Be in 'Annie' Remake After Negotiations End (Exclusive)
With hits like "There's Something About Mary" and "Charlie's Angels" under her belt, Diaz fits that bill, plus Sony is already invested in the actress, who is set to star opposite Jason Segel in the studio's comedy "Sex Tape."
Will Smith and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter are among those producing Will Gluck's updated musical, which stars Quvenzhane Wallis ("Beasts of the Southern Wild") as the orphan and Jamie Foxx as a variation of the original's Daddy Warbucks character.
Foxx and Diaz previously worked together on Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday."
With production expected to start production this fall," Annie" is scheduled to hit theaters on Christmas Day 2014, the same day Disney will release its musical "Into the Woods."
Diaz, who's currently filming "The Other Woman" for Fox, will soon be seen in Ridley Scott's "The Counselor" alongside Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt. She's repped by CAA and manager Rick Yorn.
Deadline broke the news.
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Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Where teens go instead of facebook

Where Teens Go Instead of Facebook (and Why You Should Too)



By | Upgrade Your Life – 12 hrs ago
 

Remember a few years back, when teenagers left MySpace in droves for this new thing called Facebook? Grown-ups soon followed suit (not that they were ever much on MySpace), and joined Facebook by the hundreds of millions – which made it far less cool for their kids. So where on the Web are teens going now, and what can you learn from them?
A recent study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 94% of American teens still have a Facebook account, but they’re using it less, and using it more carefully. More than half have tightened down their privacy settings and regularly delete or edit previous posts.
But even with tightened privacy settings, teens have realized that Facebook is more like a family picnic than the private party they want it to be. They still share photos and use Facebook messaging, but they are increasingly turning to newer social networks to fill the function of traditional status updates. So which sites are they using – and why?
Micro-blogging
While teens do seem to understand privacy much better now than in the early days of social media, they still have a desire to put themselves out there in a public way. And that’s where microblogs like Tumblr and Pheed come in. The culture that has evolved on these sites is more slanted to creative self-expression than Facebook’s life-casting (telling all the mundane details of your day).  Both are deeply skewed towards mobile use, and there are tons of clever and thematic blogs, think Texts from Hillary or Reasons My Son is Crying.Neither are particularly teen-oriented, but there are clear differences in style and content between a Tumblr and a Facebook feed.
Twitter saw a doubling of teen users last year. And young people use it more publicly than they do Facebook; while teens with Facebook accounts typically keep their postings private, visible only to their friends, only 24% report keeping their tweets private. Since Twitter feels more instant than Facebook, it’s a good one to consider if your musings are topical and timely.
Increasingly, the hot sites among the younger set create private networks, ones that automatically restrict who can see your updates, like Path, which limits your friend list to 150 people.This built-in privacy makes everything feel more personal – though if you have 151 real-world friends, you’ll just have to choose.
Image Sharing
Instagram is pretty good for photo sharing, especially if you like using their funky filters. Teens thought that it great, until mom and dad showed up there, too.
So then came Snapchat, a way to send pics that self-destruct after being viewed. Except that assuming what you send will really disappear is fraught with peril, since the recipient can grab a permanent screen shot of a picture before its deleted. Still, Snapchat is hot – to the tune of 150 million snaps a day – for good reason: it is a fun way to share casual, goofy pics that aren’t meant to signify deep meaning in your life. Just remember that, as with anything you post digitally, “deleting” may not really mean it can’t come back to haunt you.
[Related: True/False: Never Sell Your Old Phone]
Messaging Services
If you’re paying as much as $20 a month (or really, any amount over zero) for texting on your phone, think about these alternatives: Kik and WhatsApp have bitten into Facebook messaging, especially here in the US. Globally, services like WeChat in China, KakaoTalk in Korea, and Line in the Middle East and Asia, are all on the rise. Using these services may eat a tiny bit into your data usage, but should enable you to reduce what you spend on your cell phone overall.
[Related:Slash Your Cell Bill: How to Make Free Calls on Your Smart Phone]

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    Thursday, June 13, 2013

    Another excerpt from my book Without a Voice

    An excerpt from my book Without a Voice - A tale of human trafficking

    One day later

     Ginika raised her head up slowly. She was seated on the floor in a rectangular shaped room built almost entirely out of wood. The floor was a dirty brown color with tiles which at some points might have been white but were now brown.
    The walls were a brownish gray and a large window lay open to her right allowing cool breeze to cool her heated skin. Her back was against the wall and her left hand was on her head while her right arm was resting on her knees which were pulled up against her body.
    She wore a sleeveless red blouse and had a yellow wrapper which had circular patterns on it wrapped around her hips, its length reaching a point just below her knees. Pretty red leather slippers encased her tiny feet and her eyes were fixed on the open window watching the birds and butterflies flutter by.
    The room had no furniture save a five foot tall table to her left which had a cup on top of it. The sun hung low in the sky. In another hour or two tops it would sink beneath the horizon and darkness would come.
    That thought made a thrill of fear steal into her heart and hot tears streamed down her cheeks. The night season in this place was not a time to be looked forward to.
    A shiver ran down her spine at that thought. She tried to get up but the ache in her bones made her sit still once more. Her thoughts briefly flittered to Ifeanyi and for an instant she found herself wondering where she was.
    But even as she thought this she quickly discarded it. She couldn’t worry about Ifeanyi right now. She had to think about herself. Directly in front of her was a door. The sound of several large booted feet outside it made her leap to her feet. She winced at the pain that arced through her bones especially her legs.
    What caused the pain was something she couldn’t bear thinking about. And now to her horror it was about to happen again and she could do nothing about it. Her tears of shame and anguish poured down more freely.
    The door in front of her was thrown open and a large six foot tall man loomed in the doorway. He wore brown combat trousers and a pristine white tee shirt which molded itself to the hard muscles covering his torso. His face looked as hard as stone. It was rough and craggy with more than six tiny scars on it. His lips were full and red and his eyes were black, blacker than the darkest night.
    He held a black polythene bag in his hand which was stuffed full of clothes which was going to be her attire for the evening. With a slight grunt he tossed the polythene bag. It sailed through the air landing with a dull thud on the table beside her. As usual his aim was perfect.
    “Put your clothes on__” He barked as he turned to go.
    “But__” She gasped still crying.
    “But what?” He snarled fixing a hard gaze on her.
    “E never reach seven o clock.”
    “E never reach seven o clock__” He whined mimicking her tone. “Some of our customers have arrived ahead of time. You have the responsibility to keep them happy.”
    His piece said he turned and walked off leaving her alone. Her tears began to fall more freely now and a soft sob burst from her lips. What kind of life was she living? She asked herself. God if this is about my not serving you then I am sorry she cried inside her.
    Her cries by now had become much louder. She picked up the polythene bag and pulled out a bright red top which she realized upon closer inspection was a half top.
    The second item of clothing to come out was a black skirt. But it was so small and skimpy that she doubted it would reach even halfway down her thighs. The last thing to come out of the bag was a pair of four inch high platforms. She doubted whether she would be able to walk in it. But she knew she had no choice. The punishment in store for her if she didn’t was something she couldn’t bear thinking about.
    Taking several deep breaths she peeled the wrapper away revealing her flawless legs. She wore nothing underneath but a white pair of sexy panties which were transparent. A gift from the boss of this establishment whatever it was. She quickly put on the clothes. By the time she was through, no one could know that she was the same person.
    The clothes she wore seemed to add three more years to her age. Putting on the shoes took some doing but she managed it in the end. With another deep sigh she made for the open door.
    As soon as she stepped out of the small shanty like structure, she saw more than a dozen girls coming from shanties which were not different from the one she had just exited. Like her they were all dressed like__ to put it mildly sluts.
    Ifeanyi was one of the girls to her right. She wore a long black skirt which had a slit which stopped almost at her hip bone. Her feet were covered in black suede pumps and she had bright red rouge on her lips. Her sleeveless blouse was navy blue and it had a plunging neckline which showed a generous slice of her cleavage.
    Like her she wore no bra and Ginika could see the points of her nipples pushing against the soft cotton material of her blouse. More than half a dozen shanties were dotted around the large expanse of land this mini town was built on.
    To her right was a large white twenty two seater bus. All the girls in front of her walked towards it under the watchful eyes of the fifteen large men with pistols tucked into their trousers. Ifeanyi fell into step with her but they said no words.
    What was there to say? No amount of talking could stop what was about to happen to them. That thought was put aside as they settled inside the bus and a moment later the engine started with a loud roar. Mere heartbeats later, the driver put it into drive and they were off.


    It was hard to believe that the small settlement which was hidden in a mini forest surrounded on all sides by high walls of dirt and rock was close to the sea.
    The white sandy beach stretched out in front of them as far as they could see in every direction. Waves slapped the shoreline spraying foam and water into the air.
    Up the beach were a collection of structures built from wood and loud shouts and music echoed out of them. A huge crowd gathered on the beach. Most of them were women; a third of which she was sure were prostitutes.
    The bus pulled to a halt in front of a twelve foot tall wooden structure. It was built like a wooden garage with tiny rooms which had doors and bright red curtains covering the entrances.
    The driver of the bus pulled the bus to a halt a few feet away from the shanty like structure and turned off the engine.  He turned in his seat and gave them a hard look. They all knew what that meant.
    A lot of the girls were openly sobbing by now. Ifeanyi and Ginika didn’t cry out but large tears streamed down their cheeks. A loud bang on the side of the bus made them all jump. A couple screeched in alarm.
    A stern faced man of undeterminable age pulled the door of the bus open and peered in. He was short and stocky with plump jaws which shook as he moved. The long rainbow colored shirt that he wore was too big for him, hanging on his bulky frame like a raincoat.
    His short legs were encased in brown combat trousers and he had large brogues on his feet. He held a large black truncheon which he twirled almost absent mindedly. Ginika surmised that was probably what he had used to strike the side of the bus.
    “If I hear a peep out of anyone of you, you will be in trouble. Our clients are rich and powerful men who need to be shown a good time. They want girls that will please and pleasure them. Not stupid cry babies who are still crying for mother’s milk. The only sounds I want to hear from you are sounds of pleasure as you show our paying clients a good time. Is that understood?” The last few words were barked out in a shout.
    All the girls in the bus shivered at the venom they heard in his voice. Unable to respond properly they nodded their eyes dancing with their fear.
    “Now get off the bus and strut!”
    Ginika didn’t know what the last word meant but he was fond of saying it. With a deep sigh she quickly got off the bus with her other companions.
    They all filed to the wooden structure in front of them. Without another word, each girl went into one room. Ifeanyi and Ginika paused outside their rooms which were side by side for a few moments before pushing the curtain aside and stepping inside.
    Ginika’s room was small, barely four feet across and six feet in length. There was no furniture save a four poster bed which was neatly made with silk white sheets. There was a strong scent of pine inside the room. Someone had obviously gone through the trouble of perfuming the room.
    With short shaky footsteps she walked over to the bed and sat down. Now came the waiting. Usually it wasn’t long, but at times those disgusting things made you wait it out.
    Today was one of such days. Each time she heard footsteps approaching her heart skipped a couple of beats. But the footsteps never stopped outside her door.
    “Hello pretty__” She heard a gruff very drunk voice bark in Ifeanyi’s room.
    “Are you ready to show me a good time?”
    Ifeanyi murmured something, but her voice was so low Ginika couldn’t hear what she said. The loud thumps of the man’s footsteps crossed the room in a thrice and she heard the creak of the bed as he sank down into it. A heartbeat later his moans and dull grunts filled her ears as he had his fill of Ifeanyi.
    Sadness beyond anything she could ever describe surged through her. Before the tears started falling she heard loud noises coming from the room to her right.
    “Abeg sir! I no fit do this thing___” A soft voice pleaded.
    She knew that voice. Her name was Lillian and she was going to get into a lot of trouble if she didn’t shut up and do what he wanted her to do.
    “Are you mad?” A second voice roared and there was a dull thud which was quickly followed by Lillian’s cry of pain. A heartbeat later came the sounds of clothes ripping and the ever familiar grunts, groans and creaks of the bed as he hammered into her.
    The tears which hadn’t fallen till this point streamed down her cheeks in long streaks. They were human beings for the love of God. They didn’t deserve this. No one did. Was it a crime to be poor now? Apparently it was! A sardonic voice in her subconscious replied.
    The curtain on her door was pulled aside without warning and a man stepped in. He was whip cord lean, about five foot nine feet tall dressed in long black slacks and a black blazer with a silk white shirt but no tie. He wore comfortable looking loafers on his feet and his hair was cut short.
    Ginika’s eyes widened in fear as she looked at him; he was she admitted better looking than the others that had come before him on previous nights. He seemed like an office type. A wicked smile widened his lips at that instant and every thought vanished from her mind.
    “Are you ready for me sweetheart?” He asked in a warm voice.
    Under different circumstances she might have actually been reassured by his voice, but not this time. Unable to speak she simply nodded. His smile broadened and he pulled off his blazer and quickly unbuttoned his silk shirt. As he reached for his trousers he paused looking at her.
    “What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to take off your clothes?”
    She nodded feeling faint and rose to her feet slowly beginning to take off her clothes. The sight of her taking off her clothes seemed to excite him and before her eyes she saw the bulge in his trousers become bigger.
    ‘Dear Lord please help me__’ She murmured under her breath as she took off her panties and stood naked before him.
    “Exquisite__” He growled his eyes searing with lust as he quickly tore off his trousers.
    Crossing the room in three short strides he pushed her back on the bed and quickly climbed on top of her. As was her usual practice she closed her eyes and retreated into her special place, the place where the pain and horror couldn’t touch or consume her.



    If you liked the excerpt go here to buy either the digital copy of the book or you could opt for the paper back

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    Bieber's hot wheels

    iskers, Ferraris, Lambos, and Leopard Spots: What’s the Deal With Justin Bieber’s Crazy Car Collection?!

    By | omg! – Wed, Jun 12, 2013 5:00 PM EDT
    Burning Question: I keep seeing Justin Bieber in a different car every week. Does he keep selling them or what? — Tom C.
    No; apparently he's collecting them. Rich people tend to do that. Aerial shots of Bieber's driveways — he apparently has a few of those, too — have captured an array of autos ranging from merely tricked out to downright obscene.
    To help answer your question, I turned to Ed Jones, Chief Editor at Autofluence.com, a blog associated with the luxury car publication The DuPont Registry. Jones has been keeping track of 19-year-old Bieber's fleet of wheels. According to Jones, here is a list of Biebermobiles — or, at least, the ones worth mentioning; the singer either owns these currently, or has been seen tooling around in them in recent months.
    (X17online.com)
    A leopard-print Audi A8. Certainly not the spendiest of cars, with a price tag ranging from $114,900 to $170,545. But this one just might be the flashiest, given its animal-skin print. If you're curious about which car Bieber used to visit Miley Cyrus, wonder no further. That's the one above.
    (INFDaily.com)
    A Fisker Karma. Remember the chromed-out $97,000 electric luxury car (gifted by manager Scooter Braun) that was wrecked by Bieber's friend Lil Twist? Yep. This is the one. That accident may have spurred Bieber to limit Lil Twist's auto privileges to...
    (AM-GSI)
    The singer's Range Rover. Bieber dropped $160,000 on the custom "Project Kahn" machine, which, according to my omg! colleagues, has a military theme with matte black paint and was hand-finished in Bradford, U.K. The sound system alone is worth something like $80,000.
    A Porsche 997 Turbo ($182,000; not to be confused with his downscale 911, which can be had by mere mortals for 100K less). Top speed? According to Jones, it's around 198 miles per hour. That's fast, but not so fast as the…
    Lamborghini Aventador, which, per Jones, costs more than $400,000 and can reach 217 miles per hour. This is the car that Bieber was seen driving in Dubai when he allegedly flagged six — six! — speed traps; Jones tells me he suspects that car was a rental and not a part of Bieber's permanent collection.
    (PacificCoastNews.com)
    The Ferrari, or the other Ferrari. There are tales of Bieber driving an F430 ($200,000) and/or a 458 Italia ($230,000). One of these Ferraris was at the center of the recent Tyler-the-Creator did-he-didn't-he driving debacle.
    (FameFlynet)
    The Batmobile. Well, not the genuine article, of course, but rather a blacked-out Cadillac CTSV with the same engine as a Corvette ZR-1. The word "Batmobile" is on the trunk, or, so I hear.
    (FameFlynet)
    And what better to go with a Batmobile than a "Batbike." Bieber's dad gave him this tricked-out custom MV Agusta F3 675 sport bike for the singer's 19th birthday on March 1. There's a Bat symbol on the seat and a bunch of Bieber symbols all over, putting the pricetag over $25,000. It presumably is parked in the garage next to his $20,000 black-and-red Ducati.
    (FameFlynet)
    We're guessing the Biebs used some of his leftover pocket change to spring for this Smart Car, or as it's literally branded, the "Swag Car." Fully loaded, this baby holds down the low end of his garage, with a sticker price of about $20,000.
    So how does this collection rate overall?
    "He definitely has a solid collection for an American celebrity [Bieber hails from Canada, but lives in L.A.]," Jones tells me. "I can't think of any others at his age that would top this."
    Got a Burning Question? Tweet it to us @YahooOmg.
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    Wednesday, June 12, 2013

    Alien-like creature is a feeding Bryde’s whale Photographer's extraordinary images reveal mammal in full balloon-mode after ingesting a large school of sardines

    Alien-like creature is a feeding Bryde’s whale

    Photographer's extraordinary images reveal mammal in full balloon-mode after ingesting a large school of sardines


    bryde'swhale1
    Eduardo Acevedo Fernandez was not swallowed by the gigantic sea creature he encountered recently near the Canary Islands. But the short period he spent only a few feet away from the freakish-looking behemoth “were five seconds I will never forget in my life.”
    The creature, although it resembles an alien being you might see featured in a science-fiction movie, was identified by Acevedo as a Bryde’s whale.
    Brydeswhale2
    Acevedo’s extraordinary photographs reveal the gargantuan mammal just as it has ingested practically an entire school of bait fish. If you look closely, you can see its eye and, in two of the photos, its dorsal fin.
    Bryde’s whales are capable of extending and dislocating their lower jaw while feeding, in a manner similar to that of snakes, to encompass more foot. Their throat pleats, visible in the photos, span more than half of their bodies. This helps explain the balloon effect captured by Acevedo.
    To capture these kind of images requires a combination of luck, bravado, and more luck.
    bait
    The photos have been widely shared on Facebook and on Tuesday Acevedo, a Spaniard who lives in Madrid, shared a brief back story regarding the “gray, dark, and windy day” in the Atlantic, outside the port of Los Gigantes, in Tenerife.
    “After two hours of navigation I spotted in the distance something like a hurricane of birds throwing themselves at the sea,” the photographer said, via email. “Quickly we headed to where we saw something amazing, hundreds of common and spotted dolphins attacking a big ball of sardines, along with three [Bryde's] whales.
    brydeswhale3
    “The idea was to capture the exact moment of the whale attack on the ball of sardines, but we knew it was very difficult because of her extreme speed.”
    Bryde’s whales, which range in tropical and temperate waters, can measure to about 50 feet and swim in bursts of up to 13 mph.
    After several unsuccessful attempts to photograph feeding whales, Acevedo and his group finally anticipated correctly and jumped in just before a feeding event.
    “I only had five to six seconds after the whale opened its mouth to eat, until it passed about three feet from me,” Acevedo said. “This huge mammal was about 12 meters long.”
    He tried to position himself for more opportunities for the next 30 minutes. But by then the whales had consumed all the sardines and “everything was left in absolute calm.”
    Acevedo used a Canon 5D Mark II, and a 15-millimeter lens in a water housing. He was shooting at F8, 1/160th, at ISO 400.
    –Find Pete Thomas on Facebook and Twitter
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    Epic game of thrones insults

    The Westeros Burn Book: 14 Epic 'Game of Thrones' Insults

    "Game of Thrones" is basically "Mean Girls" with beheadings.

    By | Yahoo! TV – Mon, Jun 10, 2013 12:41 PM PDT
    There are enough put-downs and snappy comebacks in "Game of Thrones" to make Don Rickles give up his Vegas act and retire. Here are some of our favorites.
    Cersei Lannister: You know that you're not half as clever as you think.
    Tyrion Lannister: That still makes me twice as clever as you.
    This is probably the truest thing that has ever been said on television. If Westeros had a Joan Rivers "Fashion Police," Tyrion would be a one-man writing staff.
    Khal Drogo: The beetles will feed on your eyes. The worms will crawl through your lungs. The rain will fall on your rotting skin... until nothing is left of you but bones.
    The Dothraki have a great facility with cutting words. Sorry, did we say "words"? We meant "swords." Cutting swords. They're awful with words. But they do get their point across. (This material kills at bloodrider roasts.)
    Tyrion Lannister (to Cersei): You love your children. That is your one redeeming quality. That, and your cheekbones.
    WANTED: queen regent of a continent-sized kingdom. Economic whiz, ruthless military strategist, diplomatic skills a plus. Will settle for loyalty to own offspring and cheekbones that could cut glass.
    Cersei Lannister: It's all fallen on me...
    Tyrion Lannister: As has Jaime repeatedly, according to Stannis Baratheon.
    You'd think your own brother, at least, would refrain from making incest jokes at your expense. Not in Westeros, sister!
    Cersei Lannister (to Margaery Tyrell): If you ever call me sister again, I'll have you strangled in your sleep.
    Oh, right — she *hates* being called sister. Cersei's gift is being able to say the most horrible things in the sweetest tone of voice.
    Cersei Lannister: I'm afraid these fine ladies are in for a bit of a rape.
    Cersei is a cunning and dangerous viper. Cersei plus wine is a drunken sailor set loose on shore leave. Cersei plus wine and a room full of terrified girls? Magic.
    Tyrion Lannister: We have our differences, Jaime and I. He is braver; I am better-looking.
    At one point, this was spoken sarcastically. After Season 3, it's practically a dead heat in the looks department.
    Tyrion: I'm not questioning your honor, Lord Janos. I'm denying its existence.
    You know what your mom told you about sticks and stones and words never hurting you? Turns out, when those words are accompanied by exile to the wall, it *does* sting a bit.
    Tyrion: It's hard to put a leash on a dog once you've put a crown on its head.
    Tyrion says a lot of terrible things about Joffrey; it's the only thing stopping us from putting a brick through the TV every time that kid's on screen. The best thing the Internet ever did was put together a ten-minute montage of Tyrion slapping Joffrey to the tune of Zeppelin's "Achilles' Last Stand."
    Jaime Lannister: Has anyone ever told you you're as boring as you are ugly?
    Jaime says this to Brienne, but really, they can't live without each other. It's like David and Maddie from "Moonlighting," or Ross and Rachel from "Friends," or Jim and Dwight from "The Office" — they were meant for each other.
    Sansa Stark: Loras likes green and gold brocade.
    Shae: I bet he does.
    Nothing wrong with being gay. Unless, you know, your claim to the throne depends on you making babies. Between the bastards, imps, children by incest, and pregnant ladies being murdered, you stand a better chance of hatching a dragon egg than having a normal kid in Westeros.
    Bronn (introducing two knights): Ser Teryn Mant and Ser Whozit of Who Cares.
    This is the longest string of words without a reference to genitals that Bronn has put together in three seasons.
    Bronn: We can throw books at him.
    A sellsword's opinion of the strategic planning before Blackwater. Tyrion can cut through BS, but Bronn uses a high-pressure fire hose.
    Jaqen: A girl lacks honor.
    Arya: [shrugs]
    The Starks are almost as bad at witty comebacks as the Dothraki, but who needs words when you have body language? This shrug, after turning assassin Jaqen H'ghar's generosity into a threat on his life, is worth a thousand snarky Internet jokes.
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    Jim carey's career on the fritz!!

    Jim Carrey’s Career Kicked in the Shins as 'Dumb & Dumber To' Fumbles

    By | Movie Talk – 16 hours ago
    Jim CarreyJim Carrey's career could use a boost (Photo: Ray Tamarra/FilmMagic)
    "Dumb and Dumber To" has been kicked to the curb, making for the latest blow to Jim Carrey's career.
    Warner Bros.' decision to pass on the "Dumb and Dumber" sequel comes hot on the heels of the box office failure of "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," a film that had a similar budget but grossed only $22 million domestically. Carrey received good reviews for his portrayal of a Criss Angel-like street magician but the film failed to connect with audiences.
    Writer-directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly will have to look elsewhere in continuing the misadventures of Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) and Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey), as The Hollywood Reporter brings word that WB passed on giving the greenlight to "Dumb and Dumber To," the long in-development sequel to the 1994 hit comedy.
    'Dumb and Dumber''Dumb and Dumber' (Photo: Everett)Warner Bros. apparently saw limited potential in the sequel (admittedly, it has been almost 20 years since the first film), even though the budget was pitched to be around $30 million. The writer-director sibling duo are shopping the project out to other studios, which finds Harry and Lloyd hitting the road in search of Harry's illegitimate daughter ... and completely ignores the much-reviled 2003 prequel, "Dumb & Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd."
    Carrey, a box office powerhouse who could command $20 million per film back in the '90s and early '00s, has been having a rough time of it lately. His last starring vehicle was "Mr. Popper's Penguins," which was released two years ago this month and only earned $68 million domestic on a budget of $55 million. Despite the fact that he's always an engaging performer and also does well in edgier projects such as "I Love You Phillip Morris" (2008) and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004), Carrey just doesn't have the mainstream appeal that he used to.
    The 51-year-old actor will next be seen in a supporting role as mobster turned vigilante Colonel Stars and Stripes in "Kick-Ass 2," opening August 16. He is also set to star alongside Owen Wilson in a yet-to-be-titled bank heist comedy.
    Meanwhile, Carrey's "Dumb and Dumber" pal Jeff Daniels is gearing up for Season Two of "The Newsroom," which premieres on HBO on July 14.
    Watch Jim Carrey in a clip from 'The Incredible Burt Wonderstone':
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    Arnie's son developing muscles? lol

    Introducing … Patrick Schwarzenegger’s Abs

    By | omg! – Mon, Jun 10, 2013 1:38 PM EDT
    Patrick Schwarzenegger's rockin' bod! (Twitter)Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the day! (Getty)
    Wowza! It looks like Patrick Schwarzenegger is taking after his bodybuilder Dad!
    On Friday, the 19-year-old son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver posted a shirtless pic of his rock-hard body on Twitter with the caption, "Early morning pump! Who is getting into shape for summer??!! Gonna gain 7 pounds this summer."
    In the picture, the USC sophomore is flexing his guns, showing off his washboard abs, and gritting his teeth just like the Incredible Hulk.
    [Gallery: Hot Stars Hit the Spike Guys Choice Awards]
    We're sure the college cutie's nearly 80,000 Twitter followers enjoyed getting an eyeful of his ripped body.
    According to Patrick, he maintains his impressive physique by fueling his body with a diet of Pepperidge FarmGoldfish, Oreo cookies, Pop-Tarts, and other sugary snacks. Last month he tweeted a snapshot of the inside of his pantry, saying, "If your wondering what foods I eat to maintain 6 pack and what foods are in my pantry, here you are pic.twitter.com/YCfMrpT0a3."
    In addition to working out, Patrick has been busy with his budding film career. After his turn in "Grown Ups 2" alongside fellow hottie Taylor Lautner, which hits theaters in July, Patrick scored a role in the Kevin Connolly-directed flick, "Dear Eleanor." The rising star just finished shooting the film in Denver, Colorado, opposite Hollywood heavyweights Jessica Alba and Luke Wilson.
    [Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger In Talks To Star In ‘Toxic Avenger’ Reboot]
    Whether Patrick added the extra muscle for his new role or just wanted to look buff for summer, we'll never know. But one thing is for sure: We bet Arnie is one proud papa!
    Arnold was 20, only one year older than his son now, when he won the coveted Mr. Universe title at 20. The Austrian-born bodybuilder went on to win the Mr. Olympia contest seven times and score roles in action flicks like "The Terminator" and "Conan the Barbarian." While Patrick still has a way to go before he'll be buff enough to rock a pair of teeny-tiny briefs like his pops did, he's well on his way.
    Maybe next up, Arnie's kiddo will put his muscles to work and tackle an action flick. Like father, like son, right?
    More Features on Yahoo!:
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    Monday, June 10, 2013

    Jeremy Irons controversial statements again

    Jeremy Irons 'feels sorry' for those accused of abuse

    Actor says girls of the 70s were 'goers'.

    By Ben Arnold | Yahoo UK Movies News – 15 hours ago
    Jeremy Irons is beginning to make a habit of expressing his controversial views on controversial subjects.

    The star of films like 'Die Hard With A Vengeance' and Adrian Lyne's adaptation of 'Lolita' has now weighed in on the on-going sexual abuse scandals involving TV stars of the 70s and 80s.

    In one of his more inflammatory remarks during an interview with the Sunday Times, Irons described the girls of the 70s as 'goers'.

    “I mean look at 'Top of the Pops',” he said. “What were those girls doing there? What did they want, the lot of them, when they hung around the caravans and trailers afterwards?


    “There was a sort of sexual freedom. To have all that dragged up for something relatively innocuous - that’s tough. They seem to be in a mood to pillory anybody.

    “There is a blanket term for child abuse, and if the worst thing you have done was put your hand on someone’s thigh under their skirt, that may be sexual abuse, but it’s not like buggering a nine-year-old boy.”

    Irons, who is 64 and married to actress Sinead Cusack, added that he felt 'incredibly sorry for... the television guy on Coronation Street', referring to William Roache, who is facing several charges of abuse of girls aged between 11 and 16.


    He then went on to say: “I mean, Jimmy Savile - well, I won’t go there because that just sounds appalling, but... one hears that [sexual abuse] mostly happens within families, anyway. And I haven’t seen Operation Yewtree getting many fathers or mothers.”

    It's not the first time – or even the first time recently – that Irons has shocked with his views.

    Earlier this year, after being asked his thoughts on gay marriage, he mused rather strangely on what effects loosening of the law might have, including whether fathers might be allowed to marry sons for tax purposes.

    “I worry that it means we change or debase what marriage is,” he said. “Tax-wise it's an interesting one. Could a father not marry his son? It's not incest between men. Incest is there to protect us from inbreeding. But men don't breed, so incest wouldn't cover that.”

    He said in a later interview with the BBC that he wished he'd 'buttoned his lip' over the remarks.

    “I think gay marriage is wonderful. I think any reason that holds anybody together in a relationship is great,” he said.

    “If it works as glue, if it makes you feel better, if it makes you feel you love your partner more, then great.”

    He may, however, wish he'd also 'buttoned his lip' over these latest comments...
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