Adam Driver Is Your New Darth Vader like Villian

Adam Driver's character on the HBO series "Girls" has been accused of being a cruel, heartless weirdo. Now, Driver could be indulging his dark side further as the villain in "Star Wars: Episode VII."

According to a report in Variety, the 30-year-old Indiana native is close to signing a deal to play the main antagonist in J.J. Abrams' highly anticipated "Star Wars" sequel. Details of the character are unknown, the report says, but he's expected to be in the vein of the iconic bad guy Darth Vader.

Driver is the first cast member to be revealed for the film, which will be directed by Abrams from a script by him and Lawrence Kasdan, after the two took over writing duties from Oscar winner Michael Arndt. Abrams was tapped to direct "Episode VII" last year, and Kasdan has a long history with Lucasfilm, as a screenwriter on "The Empire Strikes Back," "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Return of the Jedi."

Walt Disney Studios is set to release "Episode VII" on Dec. 18, 2015.

VIA LaTimes

Kim Kardashian Flees Viennese Ball After Blackface Incident. Its rough being an "escort"

It had been reported that she was an 'annoying' date who wouldn't dance with billionaire mogul Richard Lugner despite a $500k pay check.

But now TMZ has revealed that it was Kim Kardashian who left the Vienna Ball angered on Thursday night.

TMZ claimed that Kim was approached by a white male who was working at the event with a 'black face' and began to mimic her fiance Kanye West.

MailOnline have reached out to Kim's representatives who have so far been unavailable for comment.

The site also claims that Kim - who stayed for around an hour and a half after the incident before leaving - finally made her exit when another man made a racial remark.

TMZ reported that a man offered to dance with her 'if the orchestra played N****rs in Vienna', referencing Kanye's song N****rs In Paris.

Meanwhile, according to RadarOnline, the 81-year-old billionaire host Richard told reporters during a photo call at his Lugner City mall that the reality star was not doing what he wanted.

'Kim is annoying me because she's not sticking to the program,' he said. The 33-year-old was reportedly paid $500,000 for her services.

But to make matters worse, TMZ also reported that Kim 'told her people Lugner was aggressive', grabbing her and asking her to lose her security to be alone with her. The incidents were believed to have been caught by the Keeping Up With The Kardashians camera crew.The reality star certainly looked uncomfortable earlier in the day on Thursday as she attended a press conference with the senior citizen in front of his shopping mecca in the Austrian city.

Momager Kris Jenner seemed to be thrilled, however, with the appearance, as she was seen laughing and smiling while her daughter fulfilled her obligations. Lugner's gripes about the future Mrs Kanye West had to do with how much time she would spend with him, according to the report. The European tycoon had expected Kim and her mother to be by his side soon after they landed from New York City. But instead they went to a Schnitzel restaurant to film scenes for their E! reality show. 'She’s filming and so she doesn’t want to have me around,' he told a group of reporters. He added, 'The guest should be with me and not anywhere else that is not agreed upon.'

Paris Hilton was his guest in 2007. Carmen Electra and Dita Von Teese have also flown to Vienna to be with the business owner for the Opera Ball.

Another gripe Lugner had was that she didn't want to dance with him. He announced in a press conference that at 11:45 p.m. during the ball, the beauty would join him on the dancefloor. But Kim added that it would not be her, but her mother dancing with the grey-haired man. 'I’d rather watch the dancing,' she explained. Proving that he really isn't a fan of the looker, he even joked that he had had cosmetic procedures - 15 shots of Botox - just as Kim has, according to Radar.

'What’s good for [Kim] is good for me too,' he said. By the looks of it, Kim seemed to be doing her job in Vienna quite well. She was photographed with Lugner at the airport on Wednesday, then again at the mall on Thursday. She was also seen holding his arm at the Ball.

During her daytime appearance, the new mother looked amazing as she showed off a trim waistline in a fitted white dress that would be appropriate for a spring tea party. She also wore a matching white coat as she posed next to the entrepreneur, who looked exhausted and stressed out.

Not one to give glamor a day off, Kardashian walked in light grey high heels during her meet and greet. Her hair was worn straight and long, and there wasn't much color on her face, just the usual black eye makeup and touch of pink lip gloss.

Numbers as low as $150,000 and as high as $500,000 have been whispered about.There has also been reports that the women get to borrow expensive jewelry for the Ball.Lindsay Lohan was memorably a no show at the event in 2010 after promising to appear. In 2011 Lugner made a misstep when he paid Karima El-Mahroug €40,000 (£34,000) to be his escort.

Unbeknownst to Lugner, Karima was also known as 'Ruby The Heart Stealer,' and was one of Silvio Berlusconi's infamous 'bunga bunga' girls.

In February 2011, Berlusconi was charged with paying for sex with Mahroug between February and May 2010 when she was under 18.

He was also charged with abusing his political powers in an attempt to cover up the relationship.

On 24 June 2013, Berlusconi was found guilty of paying El Mahroug for sex when she was 17 years old, and of abusing his powers in an ensuing cover up.

It's understandable why Kris and Kim wanted to flee the US this week.

On Thursday RadarOnline reported their show Keeping Up With The Kardashians lost 500,000 viewers in one week.

Season nine has had some very disappointing numbers overall with the season premiere at 2.56 million viewers.

The show used to see almost almost 3.4 million viewers in its hey day. That's almost 100,000 more viewers than now.

Still, the show has been renewed for several more seasons, according to TMZ, in a deal that will be worth more than $40m.

Kim has been spending more time in Europe as she is planning her summer wedding to West there.

According to UsWeekly, the event will take place just outside of Paris in May.

On Wednesday Kim told E! that the ceremony will be small and intimate.

Read more Daily Mail

Diet Coke Cherry Frost

Coca-Cola announced that beginning today, February 26, Diet Coke FROST Cherry Slurpee® will be sold exclusively at 7-Eleven locations nationwide. And come late May, you'll be able to find a frozen carbonated version of the beverage, dubbed just Diet Coke FROST, in vending machines at other retailers across the country.

First Look at James S.A. Corey's New Star Wars Novel About Han Solo

Star Wars: Honor Among Thieves comes out next Tuesday, but we've got a never-before-published chapter right here, to give you a taste of the action:

HAN THREW THE FALCON HARD TO PORT, and a stream of lasercannon fire flashed past.

"That almost hit Hunter Maas's ship!" Hunter Maas yelled in Han'sheadset.

"It almost hit Han Solo's ship," Han muttered to himself, then turnedthe headset mic back on. "We're handling it; just keep heading to Kiamurr at full speed. We'll get this guy off your tail."

"See that you do!"

Chewbacca growled out a laugh.

"Not a chance, pal," Han said to the Wookiee, and pulled hard at thecontrols to throw the Falcon across the pursuing TIE's field of fire, tryingto draw its aim away from the fleeing Maas. "We're not adding athird boss to this trip. Just as soon as we—"

The Falcon shuddered as another burst of laser fire hit her rearshields. A warning light started flashing.

"—get rid of this guy, we'll make sure Maas knows his place in thepecking order."

The warning light shifted to red, and an alarm shrieked. The reardeflector was collapsing. The recently patched power cabling had burned out, and the energy surge had knocked out the backup generator. As ifto highlight this fact, the cockpit of the Falcon started to smell likesmoke and burning conduit.

"We just fixed that," Han said. Chewbacca growled back. Hannodded. "I know it's frustrating."

Another stream of laser fire cut through the space between the ships.Han managed to evade most of it with a hard spiraling dive to starboard,but a few bolts struck the rear of the Falcon. The warning indicator shifted to black, and the alarm squealed one last time, then fell into a sullen monotone.

The rear shield was gone.

Han yanked back on the controls, pulling the ship into a tight loop.

The moment they were out of the way, the TIE fighter began pouringlaser fire into the back of Maas's freighter. The pirate screeched at them."Hunter Maas is being fired upon again! You said you came to protect! You are very bad at this job!"

Han continued the loop until the Falcon was behind the TIE. "Yeah,but you still have rear shields," he said to Maas, "so you can take it."Maas wailed his disagreement, but Han killed the headset. "Chewie, start calculating a torpedo shot on that TIE fighter. If, like the rest ofthem, it doesn't have shields, one concussion blast should be enough to take it out."

Chewbacca worked at the weapons console while Han throttled upto close the distance. The SR-model TIE was fast, and it appeared tohave plenty of spare power for the laser cannons. It fired into the fleeing YU-410 without pause.

The Empire's penchant for building fighters without shields had always seemed insane to Han, one of many reasons he didn't fly forthat particular corporation, but working for the opposing team, he was grateful for their lack of compassion for their pilots.

Chewbacca yowled in triumph as the Falcon buzzed a target lock signal.Han closed the distance to the optimal firing range and let loose two of his eight ST2 concussion missiles. That was fifteen hundredcredits on the wing, but he'd make sure to add that to the bill.

The TIE began dodging when the missiles launched. The pilot wasgood. Han had expected that. The Empire didn't have very many of the SR-class recon fighters, so whoever flew them would be top shelf. Han kept his finger on the trigger, ready to fire two more missiles if heneeded to.

He didn't.

The TIE started a hard turn to port, but the YU-410 veered erraticallyinto its path, forcing the pilot to correct in the other direction and intothe pathof the incoming missiles. Bothhit, and the TIE fighter disappearedin a massive concussion blast that blew it into gravel-sizedchunks. The forward shields of the Falcon flashed as debris sprayedacross the ship.

Chewbacca barked a victory laughat the vanished fighter andclimbed out of his seat.

"Yeah," Han said, "check on that generator. See if it can be saved. Idon't like the idea of flying without rear shields until we can get back tothe fleet."

Chewbacca growled out his assent and vanished into the back of theship.

"Hunter Maas," Han said, after turning the headset back on. "This isCaptain Solo call—"

"You fired torpedoes at Hunter Maas!" the man shouted back. "TheCosmodium could have been destroyed!"

"The Cosmodium? Is that your ship?"

"Hunter Maas carries precious cargo in fragile data storage devices!The pulse from exploding torpedoes can do irreparable damage to suchthings!"

"Those were concussion warheads, they don't make a—"

"And pieces of the exploding ship have pierced the Cosmodium'shull! Hunter Maas will require extensive repairs to his ship!"

"Hunter Maas," Han said pleasantly.

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

There was a long silence, thoughit was impossible to tell if this wasobedience or shock.

"Thank you," Han said. "Please follow my course to Kiamurr. We'llmake sure you get there safely. We have a secure dock picked out foryour landing."

"Hunter Maas selects his own dock," the pirate was saying. "Thankyou for your off er, but your work is now complete. Take the compliments and salutations of Hunter Maas to whoever your master is.Good-bye."

"Hold on there, pal," Han said. The guy on the other end of the linewas finally starting to get on his nerves. "You're going to follow me backto my dock, end of story."

"And why would Hunter Maas agree to these terms?"

"Because," Han said, making sure Maas could hear the smile in hisvoice, "I saved you." When Maas started to interrupt, he talked overhim. "And I'm sitting behind you right now with six more concussion missiles. So you can fly to Kiamurr, land at my private dock, and meetwith my friends. Or I can tow the crippled remains of your ship to thatsame dock."

The pause was shorter than Han had expected.

"Hunter Maas likes the sound of this private dock! Lead the way, myfriend."

Han nodded to himself and stripped off the headset.

"How's that for persuasive?" he said to no one.

True to her word, Scarlet had a dock assignment waiting for them at asmall freight-forwarding warehouse just outside the main city. Thewarehouse was closed when they arrived, so the dock was empty ofships and employees. She was waiting for them, lounging on a nearby flight of stairs.

Han trotted down the ramp from the Falcon, hand on the butt ofhis blaster. They didn't really have any idea how many people Maashad withhim on his ship, or if they'd be angry about Han forcing themto land. If Scarlet was worried, it didn't show. She stretched out on thesteps, head cocked to one side so that her black hair fell away from her eyes. She gave Han a grin.

"Good job, Captain."

"He had an Imperial scout ship chasing him," Han said. "The clock'sticking. The invasion has to be on its way."

"We saw," she said, then jumped lightly to her feet and started walkingtoward Maas's freighter. "Thanks for handling that, Han. But it'spossible the scout that was chasing Maas was working on its own. Wecan't be sure it was an advance ship of an Imperial fleet."

From the book STAR WARS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES by James S.A. Corey. Copyright (c) 2013 by Lucasfilm. Reprinted by arrangement with Del Rey, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Beyonce’s Ass Has A New Video

Here’s Beyonce‘s new video for “Partition”.

Kid Cudi drops new album on iTunes in surprise release

Rapper KID CUDI has followed in BEYONCE's footsteps by releasing his new album online without any publicity fanfare.

The Day 'n' Nite hitmaker took to his Twitter.com blog on Monday night (24Feb14) to count down to a mystery "launch", sharing a bizarre out-of-this-world message which read: "Tickets to Copernicus Landing will be available for purchase via iTunes in the next 2 hours.

"We will be boarding at 12am Eastern/9pm Pacific Time, and launching shortly after, so pack up and stay tuned to this feed for the link!"

Two hours later, he simply tweeted, "BOARDING!" alongside a link to iTunes.com, where his latest studio project, Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon, was available to purchase.

Cudi had previously mentioned plans for a February (14) release, but no official date had been set for his first album since leaving Kanye West's GOOD Music label last year (13).

He later returned to Twitter.com to thank fans for their positive feedback, writing, "Are we enjoying the ride everyone? I am! I love u all so much, I do it all for u, forever."

Cudi has plenty to celebrate this year (14) - he is currently promoting the upcoming release of his new street racing movie Need For Speed, in which he stars alongside Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul, and he has also just landed a role in the long-awaited Entourage film.

Beyonce pulled a similar release stunt in December (13) when she sent fans into a frenzy by dropping her self-titled album on iTunes.com without any prior notice or promotion.

Album Found HERE on itunes

theindychannel.com

Huge Marilyn Monroe statue to leave Palm Springs

A massive statue of Marilyn Monroe that has turned heads for two years in Palm Springs is headed east.

The 26-foot-tall, 34,000-­pound sculpture, titled “Forever Marilyn,” will be transported in April from California to Hamilton, N.J., where it will be part of an exhibit honoring its designer, Seward Johnson, said the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

A going-away party, open to the public, is planned for March 27.

The statue of the iconic film star — which depicts Monroe trying to push down her billowing skirt in one of her many memorable scenes in 1955’s “The Seven-Year Itch” — arrived in the desert resort city in 2012. On loan from the Sculpture Foundation, it was previously in Chicago.

Palm Springs officials say they hope to welcome Marilyn back eventually.

Via dailybulletin.com

Tesla Announces Game-Changing 'Gigafactory'

Tesla Motors announced on Wednesday its plans to build a "Gigafactory" to produce lithium-ion battery cells, ramping up technology that could potentially revolutionize the utilities and auto industries.

Designed to reduce cell costs "much faster than the status quo," the Gigafactory aims to produce more lithium-ion batteries annually by 2020 than were produced worldwide last year, according to a Tesla blog post.

Tesla said it hopes that the Gigafactory “will have driven down the per kWh cost of [its] battery pack by more than 30%” by the end of the first year of volume production of its mass-market vehicle." As production continues, the costs will ideally continue to plummet, according to Tesla's projected figures. The company added that it aims to produce a mass-market electric car in three years.

"We have an opportunity to leverage our projected demand for lithium ion batteries to reduce their cost faster than previously thought possible," Tesla said in its blog post. "In cooperation with strategic battery manufacturing partners, we’re planning to build a large scale factory that will allow us to achieve economies of scale and minimize costs through innovative manufacturing, reduction of logistics waste, optimization of co-located processes and reduced overhead."

Currently, almost all lithium-ion batteries are made in Asia, but the Gigafactory plans to bring them back to the U.S. Tesla has narrowed down its factory's future site to four states: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada. The battery packs would then be sent to Fremont, Calif. to be assembled into cars.

Tesla's ambitious plans for the Gigafactory don’t end there. The company hopes to run its factory entirely on renewable energy by building solar and wind facilities — not just by buying renewable-energy credits, which are environmental commodities that represent electricity produced using renewable energy. The Gigafactory aims to employ about 6,500 people, and produce about 50 GWh of battery packs per year by 2020.

Tesla also announced on Wednesday that it raised $1.6 billion for the Gigafactory and other ventures. The factory will cost Tesla and its partners $4 billion to $5 billion, with the company directly investing $2 billion of its own money.

Construction of the Gigafactory is set to begin this year, with an anticipated production launch of 2017.

Via http://mashable.com/2014/02/26/tesla-motors-gigafactory/

Stream Pharrell’s New Album ‘G I R L’ Right Now

Just yesterday, Just minutes ago, Pharrell (aka the winner of 2013) made available his much anticipated album G I R L for streaming exclusively through iTunes Radio (can you smell the power move?). The project will be his first since 2006′s In My Mind, and we hope that the super producer/artist/designer/everything can continue his upward trajectory in pop culture. Stream G I R L via iTunes Radio right here, and if you like it, buy it on Mar. 3 when it is officially releases to the public. The trailer for the album can be found below.

Living for the City: Thievery Corporation's Eric Hilton Is the Entrepreneur D.C. Will Always Need

Eric Hilton's experiences over the past two decades have made him the ideal business man for D.C.

From entrepreneur to DJ to Grammy nominee, Eric Hilton wears many hats. In D.C., he’s known for helping build a hospitality industry dynasty consisting of several successful bars and restaurants in the area with business partners including younger brother Ian Hilton. Internationally, he’s known as one half of Thievery Corporation, the electronica-rooted DJ duo who earned a Grammy nod in 2008 for their album Radio Retaliation. For the Rockville, Md. native, the transition from one medium to the next has been a slow burn that’s made him quite observant about the city, its changes and what those changes mean for artists.

A veteran of D.C.'s nightlife scene, Hilton cut his teeth as a DJ around the city prior to opening or investing in a string of successful bars and restaurants. His segue from music junkie to businessman began in 1995 when he opened Eighteenth Street Lounge (ESL) with fellow investors. It’s there that he met friend and collaborator Rob Garza, the other half of Thievery Corporation. Though the lounge has been praised in the nearly two decades since its inception, part of its legend is its strict door policy—an exclusive "fuck you" to the average partygoer. However, Hilton says this is a fallacy. 

"We got this really bad rap when we opened Eighteenth Street Lounge, which is a very unpretentious place," he says. "We kind of wanted to keep it hush hush for our friends, but once you were in, it was like a house party. I think that rep stuck with us for a little while." Relaxed settings have actually been a common theme at Hilton’s establishments—something he takes great pride in. "I like places that aren’t pretentious," he elaborates.

Given the laid back nature and stellar music at the various venues he’s behind, many assume there’s a direct correlation between Hilton’s success in the hospitality and music industries. According to Hilton, this is a misconception. "They’re completely separate," he explains. "I already opened [Eighteenth Street Lounge] and was DJing there, and we didn’t release our first record until a year and a half to two years after the lounge was open. I just never quit my day job, basically." That ability to straddle lines has been instrumental to Hilton’s success.

Powered by ESL, Thievery Corporation’s popularity, and intrigued by the prosperity of D.C. restaurant magnate Joe Englert, Hilton and his business partners sought out D.C.'s historic U Street Corridor, an area he was drawn to for its potential. This led to the birth of Marvin on Northwest 14th Street, followed by its neighbor, the Gibson, and Patty Boom Boom around the corner. American Ice Company, Brixton and Satellite Room soon followed, each in close proximity. The most recent additions, El Rey and Marvin’s other neighbor, Den of Thieves, both opened last month. Hilton was attracted to the sector because, well, it was available. 

I basically just came in here finding abandon buildings. Marvin was an abandoned building. American Ice Company—abandoned building. El Rey was an open lot. Brixton was an abandoned building...When you see abandoned buildings in an area that really should be more vibrant, it’s kind of a no-brainer.

Complex

Photoshop Week - Free Ride to Art School

You don't have to sit around in confusion, though. CreativeLIVE is currently hosting Photoshop Week through Feb. 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT — full days of free Photoshop classes. The classes are more captivating than your typical shoddy YouTube demo.

Boeing Black: This smartphone will self-destruct..

(Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) on Wednesday unveiled a smartphone that appears to come straight from a James Bond spy movie.

In addition to encrypting calls, any attempt to open the casing of the Boeing Black Smartphone deletes all data and renders the device inoperable.

The secure phone marks an extension of the communications arm of the Chicago-based aerospace and defense contractor, which is best known for jetliners and fighter planes.

Such a phone might have prevented damage to Washington's diplomacy in Ukraine from a leaked telephone call. A senior U.S. State Department officer and the ambassador to Ukraine apparently used unencrypted cellphones for a call about political developments in Ukraine that became public.

Boeing's tamper-proof phone is aimed at government agencies and contractors who need to keep communication and data secure, according to Boeing and filings with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

Made in the United States, the phone runs on Google Inc's (GOOG.O) Android operating system. The 5.2-by-2.7-inch handset, slightly larger than an iPhone, uses dual SIM cards to enable it to access multiple cell networks instead of a single network like a normal cellphone.

Due to the phone's security features, Boeing is releasing few details about the wireless network operators or manufacturer it is working with, and has not provided a price or date by which the phone might be widely available, but said it has begun offering the phone to potential customers.

Boeing's website says the phone can be configured to connect with biometric sensors or satellites. Other attachments can extend battery life or use solar power.

The phone can operate on the WCDMA, GSM and LTE frequency bands and offers WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

The company has been developing the phone for 36 months, said Boeing spokeswoman Rebecca Yeamans.

"We saw a need for our customers in a certain market space" that Boeing could meet with its technology expertise, she said.

A sample purchase contract submitted to the FCC says the phone would be sold directly by Boeing or its agents.

Yeamans said Boeing combined its own engineers with the talent of people who joined Boeing recently through acquisitions that included Argon ST Inc, Digital Receiver Technology Inc, Kestrel Enterprises Inc, Ravenwing Inc, and Solutions Made Simple Inc.

Charming, Adorable and Clever Tea Infusers

Because you'll rarely see me without my beloved tea cup, enjoy these charming infusers.

Quit Smoking, Drinking or Keep on Diet track w/Tetris

For those trying to quit smoking, drinking or successfully master a diet, the block-stacking classic Tetris could be a key to success, according to a study released by Plymouth University in the United Kingdom.

The study tests Elaborated Intrusion Theory, suggesting that imagery is central to our cravings, so giving the brain a visual task will alleviate the compulsion.

Subjects experiencing cravings were asked to play Tetris for three minutes. They either had the chance to play, or were presented with a three-minute long loading screen — artificially created by the testers. Those who did get to play reported a 24 percent drop in cravings.

The study was lead by PhD student Jessica Skorka-Brown, with professors Jackie Andrade and John May. The study abstract notes it is the first time lab tests had been done on "naturally occurring cravings", instead of those stimulated by the researchers.

"Episodes of craving normally only last a few minutes, during which time an individual is visualizing what they want and the reward it will bring. Often those feelings result in the person giving in and consuming the very thing they are trying to resist. But by playing Tetris, just in short bursts, you are preventing your brain creating those enticing images and without them the craving fades," said Andrade in Medicalxpress.

So if sticking to your diet or dumping smoking are proving difficult, considering loading a game of Tetris, or even another visual puzzler, to get your brain back on track.

Via Mashables

Taking Hating Co-Workers to a New Level

PITTSBURG -- A Pittsburg business owner was arrested on conspiracy charges Friday after he hired an officer posing as a hit man to "disfigure" one of his former employees, police said.

Joseph Mosis, owner of plastic-cutting and aluminum-framing firm Monsam Enterprises, was arrested about 10 p.m. after he provided a series of "graphic details" about his desire to assault a former employee over a labor dispute, Pittsburg police Lt. Ron Raman said. Mosis, 52, was upset over a settlement the employee had received, and described looking for an "enforcer" to take care of him.

After learning of the man's intentions, police enlisted an undercover officer to pose as a hit man and meet up with Mosis to discuss a plan, Raman said. During the meeting, Mosis described the ways in which he wanted the employee's body disfigured, provided documents showing his intent and agreed on a price for the crime to be carried out.

Police arrested Mosis on suspicion of conspiracy to commit aggravated mayhem after searching his home and business shortly after the meeting, Raman said. He remains in custody in lieu of $1.5 million bail.

VIA mercurynews

Take a trip to the London of yesteryear with new app

An updated app allows people to step into the London of the past.

Streetmuseum 2.0, originally released in 2010, uses augmented reality technology to overlay historic photographs across whatever a user is looking at in the present day, with 3D options now added.

More than 100 new locations of some of London’s most iconic locations, with photos taken between 1863 and 2003 drawn from the Museum of London’s extensive collection, have been added in the update.

Our collection provides a fabulous visual history of London, across all aspects of London life. Streetmuseum allows these photographs to be seen by a new audience, and in a thrilling context,’ said Anna Sparham, the museum’s curator of photographs.

Via Metro

Amazon, BBC Team Up to Revive ‘Ripper Street

Ripper Street Season 3

LONDON — Amazon has partnered with the BBC to revive period crime drama “Ripper Street,” which airs Stateside on BBC America.

The BBC cancelled the series, which stars Matthew Macfadyen, in December after two seasons due to poor ratings.

Amazon’s Prime Instant Video, which was previously known in the U.K. as Lovefilm, has acquired British subscription streaming rights to the show. Amazon will commission a third season of “Ripper Street,” with episodes offered exclusively on Prime Instant Video before screening on BBC1, the pubcaster’s flagship channel, a few months later. Prime Instant Video will be the only SVOD service in the U.K. to carry the first two seasons of the drama.

BBC America will continue to co-produce the series, and premiere it in the U.S.

The show is produced by Tiger Aspect Prods. and Lookout Point, with BBC Worldwide handling international distribution.

Filming on season three will begin in May.

Amazon has combined its SVOD services Amazon Prime and Lovefilm Instant in the U.K. to create Prime Instant Video, which is being offered as a package to subscribers as Amazon Prime. This also includes one-day delivery on more than 7 million items, and access to 500,000 Kindle books to borrow. It costs £79 ($132) a year.

VIA Variety

 

8 Surprising Historical Facts That Will Change Your Concept Of Time Forever

You probably should know these things didn't happen anywhere near when you thought they did...

Not everyone can be a world history master, especially when we tend to learn about it in specifically segmented classes like "European History" or "American Revolutionary History." Maybe you have an exceptional grasp on the global historical timeline. But for those of us who don't, the list below, inspired by a recent Reddit thread called "What are two events that took place in the same time in history but don't seem like they would have?" puts key historical moments into some much-needed context.

1. Betty White is older than sliced bread.

Sliced bread was introduced in 1928 by inventor Otto Frederick Rohwedder. Before this moment, bread was sold in whole loaves as bakers didn't trust sliced bread could stay fresh. Betty White was born in 1922 and spent her early years not eating sliced bread. But White recently celebrated her 92nd birthday, which means she's been able to experience the first "greatest invention" much longer than most of us.

2. Harvard University was founded before calculus was invented.

Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the U.S. The "New College," as it was originally called, had no calculus classes because it didn't exist yet. The invention of calculus would come in the late 17th century with Gottfried Leibniz's 1684 publication of "Nova Methodus," and in part with Isaac Newton's "Principia" in 1687, followed by additional explanations and reformulations by subsequent mathematicians. Also, European physicist, mathematician and astronomer Galileo was still alive during Harvard's early years -- he died in 1642.

3. The last time the Chicago Cubs won a World Series, the Ottoman Empire still existed.

The Chicago Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908. This was back when there were still teams such as the Brooklyn Superbas and the Boston Doves. The Ottoman Empire, which was founded in the 13th century, also existed back then. Mehmed VI was the last sultan of the empire and his reign ended in 1922 when the sultanate was abolished and the Turkish government took governing control over the new republic -- 14 years after the Cubs last won the World Series.

4. The Pyramids of Giza were built in the time of wooly mammoths.

From what we can tell, the last of the wooly mammoth died out around 1700 B.C. on Russia’s Wrangel Island. In Egypt, the Pyramids of Giza were built around 4,000 years ago, although there have been claims that they're even older. This also means that Cleopatra's time on Earth is actually closer to us in history than to the construction of the pyramids.

5. The fax machine was invented the same year as the Oregon trail migration.

The first fax machine was invented in 1843 by a Scottish mechanic named Alexander Bain. This early model used a combination of synchronized pendulums, electric probes and electrochemically sensitive paper to scan documents, and then send the information over a series of wires to be reproduced. The "Great Migration" on the Oregon trail began the same year, when a wagon train of about 1,000 migrants attempted to travel west, but probably died of dysentery along the way.

6. The jewelry store Tiffany & Co. was founded before Italy was a country.

While Rome was officially a holdout for a number of years after, in 1861 General Giuseppe Garibaldi led a successful campaign to gather the various city-states and bring them under one nation. Charles Lewis Tiffany and John B. Young founded Tiffany & Young in 1837 and then became Tiffany & Co. in 1853. This means Audrey Hepburn could have gotten "breakfast at Tiffany's" before she could have had her Italian "Roman Holiday.

Similarly, Macy's was founded in 1858, also before Italy became the nation we know it as today.

7. France was still using the guillotine when "Star Wars" came out.

The last time the guillotine was used as a form of execution in France was in 1977. The guillotine lasted for about two centuries. The first "Star Wars" film was also released in 1977 a few months before the execution.

Another mind-blow French historical fact: The Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889, which is the same year Nintendo was founded and that Van Gogh painted "The Starry Night."

8. Two of President John Tyler's grandsons are still alive.

John Tyler was America's 10th President, serving from 1841 to 1845, but somehow two of his grandsons are still alive. Mental Floss first reported on this fact in 2012, but since then Snopes has verified their identities, while New York Magazine even interviewed one of the grandsons. As of last year, both Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. and Harrison Tyler were still only in their 80s.

Time is now ruined.

Via HuffPo

D.C. resident: TSA agent questioned if license from nation’s capital was valid for flight

Ashley Brandt was all smiles last week when she went to board a flight home after a belated birthday trip to the Grand Canyon.

Then, standing in an airport security line in Phoenix, her jaw dropped.

According to Brandt, an agent with the Transportation Security Administration took a look at her D.C. license and began to shake her head. “I don’t know if we can accept these,” Brandt recalled the agent saying. “Do you have a U.S. passport?’

Brandt was dumbfounded, and quickly grew a little scared. A manager was summoned, she says. “I started thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to get home. Am I going to get home?’ ”

The long Presidents’ Day weekend had been Brandt’s boyfriend’s first chance to make good on a December birthday promise to take Brandt to see the Grand Canyon. The two were now on their way back, and the next morning, a class would be waiting for Brandt at her Cleveland Park preschool a couple of miles north of the White House.

But the implication from the TSA agent seemed clear to Brandt: The District is not a state; TSA requires a state-issued ID to board a plane.

Nevermind that Brandt had used her brand-new D.C. license, the one marked “District of Columbia” over a backdrop of cherry blossoms, to board her flight to Arizona days earlier.

Brandt says the agent yelled out to a supervisor, working in adjacent security line. Are D.C. licenses valid identification?

Brandt says she could hear the response, “Yeah, we accept those.”

“She didn’t seem to know that it was basically the same as a state ID,” said Brandt, who had only recently traded her Maryland ID for one from the District. “D.C. is obviously not a state, but I didn’t ever imagine it would be a problem — I mean, the whole population of D.C. has to use these.”

Within a few minutes, Brandt said she was on her way to the gate and her pulse was settling back to normal. But flabbergasted by the experience, Brandt’s boyfriend, Alan Chewning, who had passed security without an incident in another line, fired off a tweet:

“Holy. [Expletive]. TSA @ PHX asked for gf’s passport because her valid DC license deemed invalid b/c ‘DC not a state.’ ”

By the time the two landed, the tweet had gone viral, and stories were flooding in of residents recounting similar horror stories of trying to board a flight with a license from Guam or Puerto Rico.

Asked about the incident, Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokeswoman, pointed a reporter to the agency’s Web site, which has a published list of 15 types of valid IDs for airline travel, including “Driver’s Licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent).”

Brandt did not file a complaint and a person familiar with the matter confirmed that no TSA incident report was filed over the encounter.

Social media exchanges that followed between Chewning and a TSA public affairs officer, however, made clear the agency had been alerted to the incident. In a statement Wednesday, TSA said: “A valid Washington, D.C., driver’s license is an acceptable form of identification at all TSA checkpoints.”

If nothing else, Brandt’s ordeal offered a fresh rallying cry for advocates of D.C. statehood.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) issued a statement Wednesday saying Brandt’s trouble in Phoenix “dramatically personified” D.C. residents’ lack of voting representation in Congress.

“The rejection of Ashley Brandt’s D.C. driver’s license by TSA because D.C. is not a state has moved collective insult to personal injury,” Holmes Norton said. “The daily disrespect of requiring D.C. residents to pay up on April 15 without a vote in the House or the Senate has now been dramatically personified in the insult to one of our own.”

It was also, perhaps, a lesson on how foreign Washington might seem in Phoenix.

“The whole thing was kind of ridiculous and strange,” Brandt said. “Apparently in Arizona, they’re not sure we’re all right.”

VIA Washington Post

This 4-Year-Old is a Talented Designer & Wore It Better

I started following @2sisters_angie a little over a year ago. Back then she was posting the typical stuff you see from moms on Instagram -- pics of her daughter at the park, pics of her daughter eating breakfast and lots of photos of her daughter playing dress-up.

Then, about nine months ago, Angie's feed started to change. It became clear Angie's daughter (she calls her "Mayhem") was more interested in fashion than the average 4-year-old. Mayhem shunned her store-bought princess dresses and started wrapping herself with scarves and sheets creating her own styles.

Then one day Angie got tired of finding her clothes in Mayhem's toy box and suggested they make a dress out of paper. Mayhem loved the idea and they haven't stopped creating paper dresses since.

I've been continually amazed every time Angie's pictures pop up in my feed. The dresses started like above.

Having a 4-year-old daughter of my own, whose biggest fashion moment was putting a red bow around the waist of her green Super Soccer Stars t-shirt and calling herself "Peter Pan," I had a few questions for Angie. Namely...

How much is done by you and how much is done by your daughter?

The ideas are pretty much a 50/50 split, but Mayhem constructs a lot more than most people would probably believe. That's one of the best things about this project, I see her learning new skills every single day. At this point, she knows exactly how many sheets of construction paper she needs to make herself a top and a bottom. She can lay the entire thing out and tape it together all by herself. Definitely, the more complex designs have more of my time invested, but she's literally always beside me learning something new if she's not tearing or taping or gluing while I am.

Do you have an example of a dress she constructed on her own?

She made the dress (left) entirely by herself. I wasn't even home and she couldn't wait to show it to me and have me photograph it.

Are all the dresses made of paper?

Most of the time. We use a lot of construction paper, but we also use tissue paper, wrapping paper, and gift bags. We have also used silk scarves, tulle, and aluminum foil. Basically, if we can find it laying around the house and it's pliable, it's fair game. Clear packing tape and glue are our adhesives of choice.

Where does she find her inspiration? Is she watching runway shows and award shows?

We pull inspiration from wherever we go. The shark dress, for example, came as a direct result of her first visit to an aquarium.

She also gets a lot of ideas from shows that she watches or books we read, like Minnie Mouse, My Little Pony and Elsa from "Frozen."

Sometimes I'll Google images the day after award shows, so she can see the dresses worn on the red carpet and pick which ones she wants to make.

We also leave a tab open on our iPad with a search for "project runway dresses" so that we can quickly reference those as well. She's never actually seen an episode of Project Runway, but I did show her a clip one time explaining that there is a show all about making dresses and I thought she might hyperventilate.

Have you always been crafty? Were you a fashion designer in any sense before this started?

No and no. I actually don't consider myself to be the least bit crafty. Don't ask me to build something out of popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners ... you'll be incredibly disappointed! Cutting and taping paper is about all we do. And the most ironic part of this whole project is that I am literally the least fashionable person you will ever meet. In reality, I know nothing about fashion and cannot sew a straight line to save my life. A friend suggested I could start sewing these creations from scraps of fabric and I laughed at her. I'll take paper and tape any day over getting anywhere near a sewing machine!

Do you think this is going to be a lifelong interest for Mayhem?

After we made our first paper dress, Mayhem requested another the very next day. Then another the day after that. And no one is more surprised than I am, that she still wants to make them nearly 9 months later. I have no idea if it will continue, but as long as she wants to make them, we'll keep doing it.

Follow @2sisters_angie and #fashionbymayhem on Instagram. You'll be one of the first.

If you aren't on Instagram, check out more of Mayhem's creations on FashionByMayhem.com.

Via HuffPo