Shawn Bailey

Offbeat Interviews: Jón Gnarr

“Hooray for all kinds of things!” This is my favorite party chant ever. It was used by comedian Jón Gnarr when he was celebrating as the newly elected mayor of Reykjavík, Iceland. The name of his winning party: The Best Party. Turns out it was. Jón Gnarr ran a satirical platform with promises including free […]

9y ago

iraq|Isis|syria

ISIS In Iraq: Rutba Is Fourth Town Captured In Anbar Province

While the crumbling Iraqi government concentrates its military inside the capital city of Baghdad, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) militants have taken possession of almost all access points along the Syrian and Jordanian border. This allows the ISIS to move resources freely between Iraq and Syria while giving them control over […]

9y ago

russia|ukraine

Russia Cuts Off Ukraine’s Natural Gas Supplies

As of 10 am Moscow time, Russia has cut off the gas supply line to the Ukraine. Following the annexation of Crimea and invasion of the Ukraine by Russian separatists, the state-backed gas company Gazprom appears to be the latest tool in Putin’s arsenal. Aleksey Kupriyanov, a spokesman for Gazprom, stated the deadline for the […]

9y ago

Protesting The Thai Junta Can Land You 15 Years In Prison

Hitting the “Like” button can get you three to fifteen in a Thai prison. This is thanks to an existing law called lèse-majesté. The law makes it a crime to insult or threaten the king, and has been in the Thai law books since 1908. Although there have been several different constitutions in Thailand over […]

9y ago

california

Changes To California Tenure Laws Make It Easier To Fire Ineffective Teachers

Teachers sleeping on the job may soon wake up in the unemployment line. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rolf M. Treu declared certain job protections for California teachers unconstitutional. The case was filed by Students Matter on behalf of nine students and defended by the California Federation of Teachers and the California Teachers Association, who […]

9y ago

baghdad|iran|iraq|Isis|syria

Obama Promises No American Troops In Iraq: ISIS Poised To March On Baghdad

Obama has promised there will be no troops sent to save the crumbling Iraqi military from terrorists forces. He stated that his national security team has been working to provide alternative options for helping the Iraqi military. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and […]

9y ago

brazil|world cup

Anonymous Protests World Cup Spending By Hacking Brazilian Government Websites

Joining the growing protests at the 2014 World Cup, Anonymous defaced several Brazilian government websites today and hacked into the Brazilian Foreign Ministry’s server, compromising emails and attachments. In addition to the hacktivists from Anonymous, the World Cup has attracted protesters from all over the world. They are outraged that the rampant poverty in Brazil […]

9y ago

Facebook|Twitter

Miss Universe Thailand Steps Down Following Social Media Backlash

If you’re Miss Universe Thailand, it turns out you can’t call for the political opposition’s execution without someone calling you fat. Miss Universe Thailand, Weluree Ditsayabut, has stepped down following a social media backlash. The decision follows an uproar in the social media tied to her Facebook and Twitter comments. Weluree Ditsayabut, also known as […]

10y ago

amazon|e-books|j.k. rowling|walmart

Walmart Cashes In On Amazon’s Feud With French Publisher Hachette

Profit sharing negotiations have broke down between Amazon and publisher Hachette, leaving competitors like Walmart, Target, and Barnes and Noble an opportunity to cash in on the disagreement. Neither Amazon nor Hachette are giving specifics on the impasse due to a legal agreement concerning the negotiations. The disagreement has spurred Amazon to some heavy-handed tactics. […]

10y ago

American Horror Story|scotland

Fire At Glasgow School of Art: Damage To Building And Students’ Work Unknown

Fire billowed from the windows of the iconic Glasgow School of Art in Scotland today. Fortunately, everyone was evacuated safely and there were no casualties reported. The landmark art school was designed at the turn of the 20th century by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The revered art school was voted the best building of the past […]

10y ago

Cole Middle School Reverses Embarrassing Decision To Cancel Honors Night

Archie R. Cole Middle School is getting a lot of heat for changing its honors night ceremony. Alexis Meyer and Dan Seger created an uproar this week when they sent a letter to parents at an East Greenwich middle school in Rhode Island. The letter addressed a long standing tradition called honors night in which […]

10y ago

anderson cooper|Donald Sterling|NBA

NBA Charges Donald Sterling: June 3 Vote Could Force Sale Of Clippers [Video]

Donald Sterling will most likely be forced to sell his Clippers NBA team. He has already been banned for life by the NBA commission and fined $250,000, which he has so far refused to pay. The billionaire was recorded privately making racist remarks such as “Admire him, bring him here, feed him, f**k him, but […]

10y ago

Haverford Protesters’ Arrogant Demands of Robert Birgeneau Draw Harsh Response

Former Princeton president William Bowen had strong words for select graduating students at Haverford College. Some students and faculty members of the private liberal arts college in Pennsylvania had protested proposed commencement speaker Robert Joseph Birgeneau. Protesters were taking aim at Birgeneau due to his position as Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley during […]

10y ago

American Horror Story

Why Is The ‘American Horror Story’ Font So Creepy?

If you’ve gotten hooked on American Horror Story, chances are you enjoy getting creeped out. There’s no better title to wrap around ghosts and mental wards than American Horror Story, and there’s no better font to get the skin crawling like the Rennie Mackintosh Font. But why is it creepy? Fonts help us easily recognize […]

10y ago

Internet Explorer Security Hole Gives Hackers Control Of Your Computer: Windows XP Will Not Get Security Patches

A security hole in Internet Explorer allows hackers to take complete control of your computer. There is good news for affected users. All you have to do to solve your problem is what everyone else has been doing for years – not use Internet Explorer. Fresh on the heals of Heartbleed’s debut, a security hole […]

10y ago

ukraine

American Journalist Simon Ostrovsky Held By Pro-Russian Forces In Eastern Ukraine [Video]

Pro-Russian militia are capturing journalists in eastern Ukraine. The separatists are attempting to prevent reporters from shining a light on the darkness that continues to creep into this area. Simon Ostrovsky, an American Journalist for VICE, was taken by pro-Russian separatists on April 22. Pro-Russian militants grabbed Ostrovsky at a checkpoint in Slovyansk, which is […]

10y ago

netflix

Netflix Increasing Fees To Stay Competitive

Netflix is raising its prices. So what? After posting its first quarter earnings this Monday, Netflix’s stock rose by over nine percent. This was also following a hint that Netflix would be increasing their prices by one or two dollars a month; from $7.99 to a possible $9.99. And investors seemed happy about it. The […]

10y ago

Bashar al-Assad|syria

Syria Using Chemical Weapons: How Many Red Lines Can We Draw? [Video]

Bashar al-Assad’s regime is accused of once again using chemical weapons. After a similar chemical weapons attack last year in August, the U.S. gathered enough evidence that Assad had used sarin to call for air strikes as punishment. President Obama referred to the use of chemical weapons as a red line that couldn’t be crossed […]

10y ago

al-Qaida

Drone Strikes Al-Qaeda In Yemen: Civilian Casualties

A drone strike today hit its Al-Qaeda target, killing not only numerous suspected terrorists, but also civilians who were near the target. The attack occurred in the al-Bayda province of Yemen. The number of casualties reported vary depending on the source, but Al-Qaeda deaths range from nine to sixteen. The number of civilians killed by […]

10y ago

john kerry

Leaflets Demanding Ukrainian Jews Register Is Propaganda [Video]

The pamphlets demanding Eastern Ukrainian Jews to register are a part of the same tool that’s been used in every war ever fought. Propaganda. Earlier this week in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, three unidentified men carrying pro-Russian flags handed out flyers that demanded all Jews register with authorities or face losing their property […]

10y ago