flickering pictures

With their country’s economy reeling, Britons in search of inexpensive pastimes are apparently shopping less and shagging more. The BBC reports: A YouGov survey of 2,000 adults found sex was the most popular free activity, ahead of window shopping and gossiping. The Scots were most amorous with 43% choosing sex over other pastimes, compared with [...]

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The remains of German billionaire Friedrich Karl Flick have apparently been stolen for ransom, on the same day that the skeleton of famed astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus was identified. The thieves who made off with Flick’s body in Austria somehow managed to get through the solid granite slabs that surrounded his remains before carting off a [...]

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According to the U.K., that there is a map of the world’s newest terrorist state. As stock markets continue to dry-heave at the toilet of the world economy — and as financial-sector CEOs continue to dry-hump the American taxpayer — we’re discovering that British municipalities, police forces and other investors had a lot of money [...]

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The houses are in a prime location — right in the heart of Salemi in picturesque Sicily. The only catch is that they’re sort of, you know, in ruins. A little. From the BBC: The idea is the brainchild of mayor Vittorio Sgarbi, convinced it is the only way to revitalise its crumbling historic heart. [...]

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From an overly sensationalist in article in Forbes magazine: The first economic blow of the new Cold War between the West and Russia has been struck–although instead of aiming for the energy markets, Russia has decided to target the humble hen. From September 1, Russia will reportedly ban poultry imports from 19 American producers, with [...]

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Though it’s not exactly independent, the tiny Republic of Kalmykia is a self-governing member state of the Russian Federation. Located just west of the Caspian Sea and not far from Ukraine, it’s a bit of an oddity in über-secular Russia for the prominence that Kalmykian leaders give to spirituality — all the more so because [...]

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You likely know that just before the Beijing Olympics, Russia invaded the neighbouring Republic of Georgia. The move earned widespread international condemnation, and the resulting war of words with the West has been making headlines for weeks. You may not know that last July the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded the 2014 Winter Games to [...]

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In response to international condemnation of its unilateral invasion of Georgia, Russia has given notice that it will suspend all military cooperation with NATO and its 26 member states. Standing up for nations’ rights everywhere, Russia has taken the position that the world has no business interfering in the affairs of a sovereign nation just [...]

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From Harper’s Weekly, because I couldn’t write it better myself: Penguin Nils Olav, the Norwegian King’s Guard mascot since 1972, was knighted in front of a crowd of several hundred people and 130 guardsmen. Nils, who shat himself during the ceremony, was, read the proclamation from King Harald the Fifth, “in every way qualified to [...]

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While the world looks China-ward, mesmerized by Beijing’s Olympic flash and dash, Russia has quietly mobilized its powerful military and invaded a neighbouring country. Russia insists it stepped in to protect its citizens living in the separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia, who have faced harassment and bombings by Georgian troops. Russian officials say they [...]

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