Artist Claims Hanging Penis Sculptures Are Clouds
Residents of Auckland, New Zealand are suspicious of claims that these newly-installed aluminum mesh sculptures at a train station in New Lynn are meant to resemble clouds: – To be…
Month: February 2015
18 Gifts From Exes That Are Totally Grounds For Divorce
Like it or not, gift giving is an unavoidable part of being in a relationship. But some people in relationships really can’t seem to grasp the importance of a thoughtful…
Training Birds to Aid a Scientific Breakthrough
With a new device scientists measure the force of a wingbeat while birds fly freely. James Gorman SCIENCETAKE – He said in the lab, researchers played recordings of birds tweeting…
Do Committed Gay Couples View Masturbation Differently Than Straight Couples?
Jenny Block, author of Open: Love, Sex, and Life in an Open Marriage, discussed how she and her same-sex partner approached mutual masturbation while being in a committed relationship in…
Colombian FARC Rebels Invite Miss Universe To Peace Talks
She isn’t the first beauty pageant winner to talk of wanting peace, but she actually got an offer to help achieve it. – CNN noted that FARC is considered a…
Former Taliban Commander Who Joined ISIS Is Said to Be Killed in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan — A former Taliban commander who had recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State militant group was killed in a military operation in Helmand Province on Monday, according…
HSBC Admits Failings After Reports Reveal Subsidiary Helped Rich Hide Money
* HSBC admits failings by Swiss subsidiary * Leaked documents allege bank helped clients to evade taxes * Allegations date back to 2006-07 * Clients include music and sports stars,…
Closing arguments in trial of Costa Concordia captain
Schettino, who was the captain of the Costa Concordia cruise ship when it crashed into the rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio, in January 2012, is facing 26 years…
The Rise Of This Erotic Garden Will Come Hard And Fast, Breast Assured (NSFW)
It’s the Garden of Hedon! Katai Kamminga erected what is quite possibly the first erotic garden (and teahouse!) in Southeast Asia, blurring the oh-so-thin line between sex organs and stamen….
Common Core fight a larger battle over the size of government
While he rolled out more specific education reform proposals Monday, Jindal framed the debate over Common Core in broader terms in a conversation with reporters Monday hosted by the Christian…
Republicans Want Photo ID Requirement For Food Stamps
WASHINGTON — Even though the previous Congress spent two years fighting over comprehensive food stamp legislation, some Republicans in the current Congress want another bite. – Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas),…
Yemen Political Talks Resume but Quickly Stall Over Houthi Demands
SANA, Yemen — Feuding political parties resumed United Nations-mediated talks with the Houthi militants controlling Yemen’s capital on Monday, but two parties withdrew within hours complaining of threats from the…
‘Humpback Whales’ Film Is An Important Reminder That Not Every Environmental Story Is Bad News
With so many of the world’s biggest environmental stories dominated by degradation, loss and rapid change, it can be quite relieving to get a little bit of good news. In…
Heinz Sriracha Ketchup Is Coming To America. Are You Ready?
It’s only February, but holy prepare-your-tastebuds has it already been a good year for sriracha lovers. In January, Lee Kum Kee introduced a new sriracha chili ketchup and in February,…
Ai Weiwei’s Zodiac Sculptures Head To Auction For $3 Million
A group of golden animal heads by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei representing the signs of the zodiac is up for sale in London. – A larger version of Ai’s zodiac…
Hello Mr. Magazine Wants You To Dance At Valentine’s Day Hello Love 2015 Event
Hello Mr., a magazine that launched in 2013 and views itself as “a community of men who date men starting new conversations about their interests, loves, hopes, and fears,” is…
Putin in Ukraine: Why would he stop in the face of weakness?
Since invading and annexing Crimea almost one year ago, the Russian president has been running rings around the European Union, NATO and the Obama administration. It is not that Putin…
Inmate Accused Of Impregnating Guards, Drug Smuggling Sentenced To 12 Years
The gang member who prosecutors say dealt drugs, impregnated four guards and oversaw a drug-smuggling operation while incarcerated at a Baltimore jail has been sentenced to 12 years in prison….
Gov. Ige Drastically Cuts Funds For Public Housing
www.civilbeat.com: Dozens of Hawaii’s public housing projects have an immediate repair and maintenance backlog totaling an estimated $275 million.
Michael Gambon Retires From Theater Acting Due To Memory Loss
“Harry Potter” star Michael Gambon has announced he’s retiring from theater acting now that he’s struggling to remember his lines. – And while Gambon has retired from the stage, he…
Climate Change Is of Growing Personal Concern to U.S. Hispanics, Poll Finds
WASHINGTON — Alfredo Padilla grew up in Texas as a migrant farmworker who followed the harvest with his parents to pick sugar beets in Minnesota each summer. He has not…
Ricky Martin Explains Why He’s Raising His Children On The Road
Ricky Martin may be raising his 6-year-old twin sons Matteo and Valentino as “road babies,” but the single father says that doesn’t mean their life is unstable. Martin, 43, is…
A Painting a Day
On Kawara, the subject of a vast and elegant retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum, was born in Japan and lived very, very quietly in Manhattan for fifty years until his…
Former ABC News President Says Industry Partly To Blame For Brian Williams Fiasco
In a HuffPost Live interview Monday, former ABC News president David Westin laid blame on both Brian Williams for his lying mess and on the television industry as an enabling…
15 Real-Life Valentine’s Day Disasters
For every devoted Valentine’s Day fan, there are probably 247 people who detest it — the hoopla, the pressure, the ick factor of a holiday all about the commodification of…
The Forgotten Muslims Of Early America
It was not the imam’s first time at the rodeo. – Read the whole story at The New York Times
Protest Held After San Francisco Archbishop Tells Teachers To Follow Church Teachings
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — About 100 people attended a vigil outside the Roman Catholic cathedral in San Francisco on Friday to protest the local archbishop’s move to require teachers at…
WV Lawmaker Brian Kurcaba Apologizes For Controversial Rape Comment
West Virginia Del. Brian Kurcaba (R) apologized Friday for a comment he made last week that pregnancy from rape could be “beautiful.” – Kurcaba’s comments were similar to ones made…
Ledisi Admits ‘Little’ Disappointment Over Beyoncé’s Grammy Performance
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Beyonce gave a resplendent rendition of “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” at the Grammys but it was Ledisi who gave the song revived attention with her…
Publisher Of Ebony Shrinks In Search Of Growth
Johnson Publishing, parent company of Ebony magazine, has the weighty title of “curator of the African-American experience.” But the corporate base supporting that role keeps shrinking. The company’s recent decision…