George Clooney's Space Thriller Opens Venice Film Fest

Clooney space thriller opens Venice film fest (via AFP)

Hollywood high-rollers George Clooney and Sandra Bullock kicked off the Venice film festival on Wednesday with a harrowing space drama that opens a line-up flush with gloomy tales. "Gravity", a 3-D sci-fi thriller, sees Clooney and Bullock as astronauts…

---

Julian Assange Channels Farnham In Australian Polls Spoof [Video Included]

The YouTube video from Juice Rap News is just after the article and the bit with Julian Assange starts at 3:47 Enjoy!

Assange channels Farnham in Aussie polls spoof (via AFP)

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has recorded a musical spoof on his Australian political party for cult web series Rap News, satirising rock star John Farnham in a wig and denim shirt. Assange, who started the WikiLeaks Party to run for office in next…

---

Wars Leave Lasting Wounds for All Americans [Infographic]

In his farewell speech, President Eisenhower proudly told the world, “We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations.” His statement remains true over 50 years later, and our military budget is currently six times greater than that of our closest competitor, China. Ironically, most of our $16 trillion dollar deficit belongs to China. Anyone hoping that an end to the war on terror will immediately solve the national debt crisis is sure to be disappointed; we will continue paying for the early 21st century's wars for years to come, and the cost will be far greater than any past military conflict.

The specter of the Second World War drove us to create the largest military in history ensuring that we’d be safe in the event of another global conflict. Since then, the U.S. military has intervened in dozens of conflicts around the globe in the name of international peace. Many things have changed since World War II; back then, the U.S. government solicited its citizens instead of borrowing from other nations to fund war efforts. Americans bought $150 billion in war bonds during the 1940s, which paid for nearly half of the war. At the same time, the government raised taxes and brought the top marginal rate to 94 percent. Tax hikes also supported the conflicts in Vietnam and Korea.

Conversely, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began when taxes were at a historical low point, which is why we’ve been fighting on borrowed dimes. Before we even think about putting a dent in our debt, we have to support our veterans. Military personnel rightly receive the best health care available, and we spent an average of $150 million per day on veterans in 2012. The government is obliged to cover medical costs for all retired veterans, and the number of veterans is about the drastically increase, so the final bill for the war in Afghanistan won’t arrive until near the end of the current century.

While we remain trillions of dollars in debt, the good news is that we already have the tanks, guns and aircraft for which we borrowed the loans, so don’t worry about China trying to collect their payments by force anytime soon.

What Will the Next Superhero Look Like?

The concept of superheroes was born in a highly unstable time of crisis and social uproar. As uncertainty spread rampantly across the population, people needed somebody to protect them, to fight crime, to stand up for “the little guy”. Hence superheroes were born. The possibly most famous and prototypical superhero is Superman, born in 1933, in the times of the Great Depression. 80 years later, the situation hasn't changed too much. Civil unrest and financial uncertainty have become an inseparable part of our everyday lives once again, and this is a growing tendency. A new generation of superheroes is needed more than ever as the old symbols are slowly losing their power. But what would this new generation of superheroes look like?

'Hijab Appeal' Campaign Divides Sweden

Just before we published this syndicated article from  Agence France Presse about the 'Hijab Appeal' campaign in Sweden, we got in touch on Twitter with @TellMamaUK  to ask if they would not mind giving us a short statement (like they previously did for the Explosive Device Found Outside British Mosque post) and they kindly agreed (once again) to provide us with one... here it is:

"It is heartening to see people stand in solidarity with those who suffer anti-Muslim prejudice.The scourge of anti-Muslim prejudice must be tackled through all communities coming together against hate."

'Hijab appeal' campaign divides Sweden (via AFP)

In gender-equality Sweden, a grassroots movement defending women's right to wear hijab has split the nation, backed by politicians and celebrities while critics say it supports a symbol of female "oppression". Hundreds of Swedish women have posted photographs…

---

Ridding Addiction for Good [Infographic]

Becoming addicted to drugs, alcohol and other substances can be extremely debilitating in everyday life and ultimately with your work and the relationships you have with your friends and family. According to statistics only 10% of all addicts are currently receiving treatment. On average, in-patient programs that last 28 days cost a total of approximately $25,166, making it challenging, if not impossible, for the average addict to partake in.

Banksy: From Graffiti Rebel To Auction-House Darling

Banksy: From graffiti rebel to auction-house darling (via AFP)

The auction of works by Banksy, the world's most infamous graffiti artist, has angered residents of looted London neighbourhoods and "embarrassed" the artist as the sale of street art becomes a lucrative enterprise. Hollywood A-listers Angelina Jolie…

---

Bollywood Sri Lanka War Film Pulled From British And Some Indian Theatres

Bollywood Sri Lanka war film pulled in UK, south India (via AFP)

A Bollywood spy thriller set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war has been pulled from British and some Indian theatres after protests over its depiction of rebel fighters, the movie's distributors said Saturday. Madras Cafe, which opened…

---

Ben Affleck As Batman? Fans Outraged

"Could have been worse... 

It could have been Adam Baldwin. Yikes!"

Loup Dargent

@rpxadair Perhaps they're his only fans? ;-p #OccupyEDL #EDL @moronwatch @barryjbutler @NorseFired @EDLsosDivision @pooblocks @AdamBaldwin
— Loup Dargent (@loup_dargent) July 21, 2013

Affleck as Batman? Fans outraged (via AFP)

The casting of Hollywood A-lister Ben Affleck as the new Batman sparked fan outrage, with petitions calling for the coveted role to be recast and widespread howling on Twitter. Warner Bros. announced Thursday that Affleck -- who earlier this year was…

---

Let's Stop the Anti-Women Gag Rule!

Dear friends,

Sold into marriage at 12, Sahar Gul lived in a house of horrors. Her in-laws chained her in the basement, beat her with red hot iron pipes, starved her and pulled out all her fingernails when she refused to prostitute herself for them. 

Her attackers’ sentence was reduced to a meager one year, and now they’re free again! Worse still, the Lower House of Parliament just passed a bill that would ban aggressors’ family members from testifying in court. This would prevent countless children and women from ever getting justice. 

The Upper House has beaten back anti-women legislation before and high-level officials say the Avaaz community could tip the balance and help stop the bill before it goes to a vote. But to do that, we need to act fast. 

[Audio]Book Tour: 'The Best Man' By Ana Blaze

As you probably know by now, this is not the usual type of books I tend to host a tour for, but I couldn't not share with you this one as it's not just another book... It's an audiobook!

Also, one of the characters is a science fiction writer... so, yeah, that's a good reason enough to host that tour (oh, and, by the way, the story is good too).

On top of the usual bits of info about the novel itself and its author, there is also a link for you to listen to a sample of the audiobook... and it's definitely worth a click or two.

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent

Britain Faces Furore Over Snowden-Linked Detention

Britain faces furore over Snowden-linked detention (via AFP)

British authorities are facing increasing pressure to explain why they used anti-terror laws to detain the partner of a journalist who worked with US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden. David Miranda -- the Brazilian partner of Glenn Greenwald, an American…

---