Time is kind to some people. Others… not so.

The National Security Agency has some of the brightest minds working on its sophisticated surveillance programs, including its metadata collection efforts. But a new chat program designed by a middle-school dropout in his spare time may turn out to be one of the best solutions to thwart those efforts.

School dropout codes chat program that foils NSA spying (Wired UK).

Chinese city paints street lane for mobile phone users - Telegraph.

Munich tried then ditched Linux. I wonder if Turin fares any better.

If this doesn’t make you at least slightly tear up, you must have a heart of stone. Knowing what its like to have your own father in hospital, I can feel for Lisa.

Where’s the quad espresso?

‘Please, don’t worry so much, because in the end, none of us have very long on this Earth. Life is fleeting, and if you’re ever distressed cast your eyes to the summer sky, when the stars are strung across the velvety night. And when a shooting star streaks through the blackness turning night into day, make a wish, think of me. Make your life spectacular. I know I did.’

resists commenting

Me leftie! :)

Funny - but wholly inappropriate for a reference letter. Since the manager’s signature is visible, I’m sure s/he will be having words with directors, who may in turn give him/her a reference of their own…

Don’t give me any ideas ^_^

Like many people around the world, hard-working Japanese people like to let their hair down at the weekend with a few drinks. Due to the low tolerance for alcohol among the population, many people enjoying a drink become so inebriated they fall asleep in public.

The Yaocho Bar Group has taken advantage of the thousands of “sleeping drunks” by turning them into human billboards warning against excessive drinking. Armed with white duck tape, printed headlines, logos and a call to action, a team from the Yaocho Bar Group targets sleeping people on some of the most crowded streets in Tokyo. Honour is held in high esteem in Japanese society, and the advertisers hope the billboards will shame people into drinking moderately

Video: Japanese bar uses sleeping drunks as billboards - Telegraph.

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Like it or not, Germany totally outclassed Brazil last night, and the goals came thick and fast. The commentators summarised it bluntly, and concisely after goal 3: "Brazil are being humbled, humiliated, and ripped apart". 5 goals in 30 minutes. I went to bed even before the first half had finished. From the sounds of it, some of the Brazilian fans felt the same way. There really wasn't any need to watch the rest of the match. Well, it looks like I missed 2 more goals by Germany and one consolation goal by Brazil.

But, interestingly, according to the Guardian, plenty of records fell during that match (taken from the referenced article):

179

Seconds between Germany’s second and fourth goals in Belo Horizonte

7

Germany are first side to score seven times in a World Cup semi-final

94

Years since Brazil lost by a six-goal margin (6-0 to Uruguay in 1920)

29

Minutes it took Germany to score five, the fastest ever at a World Cup

16

Goals scored by Miroslav Klose at World Cups, beating Ronaldo’s record

5

The amount of goals scored by England in the past two World Cups

223

Number of goals scored by Germany at World Cups. Brazil have 221

3-0

Brazil’s heaviest defeat at a World Cup before last night, in 1998

12

World Cup matches it took Thomas Müller to get to 10 goals

6

Number of assists provided by the Bayern player in those 12 games

0

Shots on target by Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side in the first half

69

Seconds between Toni Kroos’ two goals. Fastest in tournament history

World Cup records tumble as Germany destroy Brazil 7-1 | Football | theguardian.com.

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Actually, I do remember an episode where Penfold turned into a woman. Boy, that was weird….

This explains why Parson Street was closed just after Tenterden Grove on my way into work this morning.

Man stabbed to death in London | UK news | theguardian.com.

hand up Me!

Honda has recalled 1.8m cars around the world after a scare over an airbag in another manufacturer's vehicle but made by its supplier Takata.

The Japanese company said the recall covered five models made between 2001 and 2003: the Accord, Civic, CR-V, Jazz and Stream. In Europe 154,000 cars are affected and 45,000 of those are in the UK.

Honda recalls nearly 2m cars in airbag scare | Business | theguardian.com.