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It is easy to understand why the conversation following the tragic killing of Sir David Amess was dominated by calls for more civility in politics, given the brutal nature of what happened. At times of tragedy, people turn to each other, and it is true that a more friendly political culture would reduce the amount of online abuse MPs receive. But today, four days on, that conversation seems increasingly dissonant. Based on the limited but indicative information we have on this suspected terror attack, there is little to suggest that more civility in Westminster would have prevented it. The fetishisation of civility has manifested itself in bizarre ways, the most fascinating of which is the attempt to link Sir Davis’ killing to the government’s Online Harms Bill . Take for instance the wonderful tribute to Sir David from Mark Francois, a close friend of his, in the Commons yesterday. It was a true celebration of the late man’s character, remembering his wit and humour, as well as …

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Today marks four years since David Bowie tragically died aged 69 . The legendary singer is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential pop stars of all time – pioneering new forms of musical genre, style and gender through his incredibly varied works and personas. His 30-year-career helped mould some of the best-known musicians and bands in recent memory, from the likes of Nirvana and The Killers to Madonna and Lady Gaga. But is there another level to Bowie’s genius? Here, Daily Star Online looks at some fascinating predictions Bowie appeared to make – which all came true. Predicting the rise of social media Back in 1999, Bowie made a startlingly accurate prediction on the future of the internet and – more specifically – social media. He was speaking to Jeremy Paxman on BBC Newsnight when he said that “the potential of what the internet is going to do to society is unimaginable”. “I think we’re on the cusp of something both …

[Read more...] about David Bowie ‘predicted iPads, social media, Kanye West and his own death’

Melania Trump has explained in an interview with US media why she wore a jacket with the words “I really don’t care, do you?” emblazoned on the back when boarding a plane in June to visit an immigrant child detention centre in Texas. She wore it, she said, to take aim at “the people and for the left-wing media who are criticising me”. But no one is impressed by that excuse. Firstly, the timing of the jacket was inappropriate to say the least. Even though she has now clarified that the message was not aimed at the children, it still seems awfully self-involved to have chosen that moment to express her displeasure at the media and liberals. In such a bitterly divided country, Melania’s decision to wear that jacket was baffling as well as offensive, no matter what the reasoning. Furthermore, it just goes to show how her priorities, like Donald Trump’s, are wrongheaded. Her husband is famous for lashing out at the media whenever they criticise him and Melania now seems to be …

[Read more...] about Melania Trump is willing to play petty schoolyard games with the media, but she is only hurting herself

Many believe that family always comes first—but what happens when you're caught in a conflict between two close relatives? A woman, recently facing that dilemma, turned to social media for advice. Her now-viral post in Reddit 's "Am I the A**hole" forum has accumulated about 16,900 votes at the time of writing, along with upwards of 1,500 comments. In the Monday post, the 40-year-old Redditor, known only by the anonymous handle u/Zealousideal-Tip5225, explained why she decided to kick out her pregnant sister and brother-in-law for the wellbeing of her son, despite the decision "[sounding] super bad" on the surface. For context, she explained that her 26-year-old sister "Sophie" is about three months pregnant. However, Sophie and her 28-year-old husband "Ben" were recently "evicted from their apartment and ... didn't have a place to stay." Despite the fact that the Redditor and her sister have "never been close," she allowed the couple to stay in her guest room. "We agreed …

[Read more...] about Internet backs woman who kicked out pregnant sister due to her “homophobic” beliefs

October 19, 2021 - 17:54 BST Katy Perry brought her style A-game in her latest look, donning an incredible bronze gown and some brand new hair for a big milestone Katy Perry left fans completely and utterly stunned with her latest social media post as she brought her fashion game quite hard. MORE: Katy Perry gives glimpse at life at home with daughter Daisy and Orlando Bloom The singer struck a pose in a metallic bronze-colored gown that hugged each of her curves and featured a dangerously high slit. Plus, she made sure to focus on the details as she paired her incredible look with some deep black locks, blowing in the wind. Loading the player... WATCH: Katy Perry's Chocotopia adventure She shared a couple of pictures of herself in the gown, plus a video of herself showing it off, and ended with a shot of her fellow American Idol judges and host Ryan Seacrest holding a cake. Katy revealed that the group was …

[Read more...] about Katy Perry marks milestone moment in curve-hugging gown with a high slit – and that hair!

It might not be what everyone visits OnlyFans for, but Vienna’s tourism board has launched its own account for artwork depicting nudity. Museums of Austria’s capital have turned to the NSFW platform, as many have faced sanctions from Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for showing these pieces. For $4.99 (£3.60) per month, people can view as many painting and statues of naked people as they want, safe from the wrath of over-zealous social media moderators. Many of these works are not necessarily of a sexual nature, but nonetheless have been ruled as falling foul of many platforms’ policies on nudity. In July, the Albertina Museum had its TikTok account suspended and then blocked over images by Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki showing an obscured breast. In 2019 Instagram ruled a painting by Peter Paul Rubens violated its community guidelines on nudity – despite them saying ‘nudity in photos of paintings and sculptures is OK’. The Leopold Museum has been been …

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The social media backlash has finally reached the ears of the tech companies as people make it known that they want to stop scrolling, liking or tagging and actually enjoy some proper human interaction. And it looks like it might finally be time to abandon our collective fear of missing out (FOMO). Google has published a post on its blog dedicated to Android all about how it’s devoting research and development to digital wellness. The company says we should leave FOMO behind and start embracing JOMO: the joy of missing out. ‘As early as 2015, we noticed that increasingly, people we talked to were raising a flag about how distracting notifications on mobile devices can be,’ the company wrote. Google says it embarked on research in both the US and Switzerland to get an idea of how different cultures used their phones. ‘We also analyzed data we had previously collected from 112 participants in China, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, and the U.S. over a period of two …

[Read more...] about Google declares the end of ‘FOMO’ and hails the birth of ‘JOMO’

There’s a different kind of social cachet on a Friday and Saturday night compared to any other day in the week. No plans on a Monday? No problem. Home alone on a Saturday, though? Suddenly Instagram is a cruel reminder of everyone else’s flourishing social lives, even though you were out on Thursday and could do with a quiet one, for both your bank account and health’s sake. There’s no difference in how you might spend that time alone, only the day that it falls on. But that day can dramatically affect how you feel about the entire experience. Jo, a 34-year-old in London, knows this feeling all too well. She says: ‘In the “before times” I’d often be quite grateful if plans fell through so I could catch up on sleep or life admin, but now I’d feel deflated if that happens. ‘It’s like I’m not making up for the lost time of the lockdown or getting enough human interaction after a week of teams chats and Zoom calls.’ Still working from home, the weekend has become …

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Oct 19 (Reuters) - Snap Inc (SNAP.N) said on Tuesday it is launching a studio to help brands create augmented reality advertising and experiences, part of a move to popularize the use of technology that can overlay computer-generated images onto a person's view of the real world. The owner of photo messaging app Snapchat first became popular with young users for its early forms of augmented reality (AR), such as photo filters that could superimpose dog ears onto a person's photo, or add a dancing hot dog to a video. Snap has since staked its future on advancing the technology, launching AR-enabled eyewear and acquiring startups that develop technology to allow users to virtually try on clothing. The new studio, Arcadia, will help brands build AR experiences not just for Snapchat, but any other social media apps or websites where it wants to place content, said Jeff Miller, global head of creative strategy at Snap. "The goal is to push the boundaries of what's possible in AR," …

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An Israeli amateur diver found a large, 900-year-old sword dating back to the Crusades at the bottom of Mediterranean Sea last week, Israeli researchers said on Monday. The diver, identified as Shlomi Katzin from Atlit, Israel, discovered the weapon on Saturday among other artifacts on the Mediterranean seabed, including ancient stone anchors, other anchors made of metal, and pottery fragments, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The sword has a blade over 39 inches long and a hilt measuring nearly 12 inches, and it likely once belonged to a crusading knight. Katzin brought the sword ashore after fearing it could be further buried under the sea's shifting sands. He then reported his find to the IAA and was given a certificate of appreciation for "good citizenship," an IAA spokesperson said. "The sword, which has been preserved in perfect condition, is a beautiful and rare find and evidently belonged to a Crusader knight," said Nir Distelfeld, inspector for …

[Read more...] about 900-year-old sword dating back to the Crusades found at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea