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Best Christmas gifts for tweens, as chosen by 9- to 12-year-olds themselves, from Jellycat toys to ****** | Christmas Best Christmas gifts for tweens, as chosen by 9- to 12-year-olds themselves, from Jellycat toys to ****** | Christmas The ***** of buying a Christmas present for a tween (age nine to 12): they’ll tell you exactly what they want. The *****: they’ll tell you exactly what they want, and could very well change their mind 17 times before Christmas. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Time moves fast for Gen A tweens, who start as children with a love of Beyblades and end as teens who likely have a more expensive skincare routine than you. So, we spoke to several tweens to find out what they really want for Christmas (for now, at least). The best gifts for tweens Wimpy **** and stationery Diary of a Wimpy ****: Hot Mess, £7.49 amazon.co.*** whsmith.co.*** Legami Savannah erasable pen set, £5.99 amazon.co.*** waterstones.com Avocuddle eraser, £1.99 ryman.co.*** waterstones.com Wimpy Kids are so funny, you can read them over and over, and I love the pictures. It’s exciting that there’s a new one for Christmas (Hot Mess)! I also want some pens from Legami. There are loads of different characters to collect, like animals, and you can rub them out. I also love their Avocuddle stationery. Cecily, 10 Movie moments Mini projector, £85.99 amazon.co.*** £129 currys.co.*** For Christmas, I would love a cool phone projector, as it could turn my room’s wall into a big screen – so I can watch movies with my friends. Charlie, 12 Cute and cosy Jellycat Clementine Amuseable, £18 fenwick.co.*** £29.22 amazon.co.*** Panda Oodie, £19.50 theoodie.co.*** Jellycat … they’re so cute and I love their faces. And I’d recommend my Oodie – they’re really fluffy and great for lounging around in. Áine, 11 Glow getter LED lights, 3m, £63.99 ***.govee.com 5m, £99.99 amazon.co.*** Instax smartphone printer, £84.99 amazon.co.*** £94.99 argos.co.*** I would like LED strip lights for my room. They’re great because you can control them from your phone and change the colour. There’s even a disco mode. Also, an Instax photo printer: this one is great because you can print collages and add a background and stickers. I love taking fun photos of my friends and family. Louis W, 12 Digital pets Tamagotchi, £13 amazon.co.*** argos.co.*** Strawberry lip butter, £6 thebodyshop.com £8.99 amazon.co.*** I’d like a Tamagotchi, as I’d like the responsibility of a virtual ****! And some lip balm to stop my lips cracking in the cold. Rachael, 11 Dog Man 13, £6.49, published 3 December waterstones.com amazon.co.*** Football cards, from £0.45 panini.co.*** I would like Adrenalyn XL 2025 football cards because I really want to complete the collection and trade with my friends. I would also like the new Dog Man book (Big Jim Begins) because they’re funny and I love the cartoons in them. Louis P, 10 Mrs Clemitshaw’s Year 6 Class at Canon Popham C of E Primary Academy, Doncaster DIY jewellery Cool Maker Popstyle bracelet maker, £14 argos.co.*** Personalised woodland bracelet making kit, £14.36 notonthehighstreet.com I would like a bracelet maker for Christmas. My sister Ayda and I love making bracelets and it’s a fun activity to do. You can make them and give them away to family and friends. Eva, 10 For more Taylor Swift-inspired gifts, see our Swifties gift guide Stylish shoes Adidas Samba, from £50 adidas.co.*** jdsports.co.*** What I would like for Christmas are Adidas Samba shoes. ****** my age, and older, love what is trending in fashion. Eliana, 10 Marvel figures and gaming Deadpool action figure, £24.99 hasbropulse.com £12.99 amazon.co.*** EA Sports FC 25, £54.99 argos.co.*** £33.54 amazon.co.*** I will be asking for some Deadpool things as it is popular. I would also like FC 25 and my friends are asking for it, too. Rupert, 10 Squishy pets Original Squishmallows Connor the Cow, £9 argos.co.*** Original Squishmallows Todd the Rooster, £11.99 amazon.co.*** For Christmas, I would like Squishmallows. I love the designs. They are unique and bright and are squishy and soft. They come in lots of sizes. Ella, 10 On-trend cup Stanley Quencher, £45 johnlewis.com amazon.co.*** This year I, and other children my age and older, may want a Stanley cup. These are popular at the moment and would make a good gift. Jessica, 10 Rovers merch Lego McLaren F1 race car, £21 argos.co.*** £16.99 amazon.co.*** skip past newsletter promotion Get the best shopping advice from the Filter team straight to your inbox. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Doncaster Rovers replica shirt, £37 eliteprosports.co.*** eliteprosports.co.*** I’d like Lego sets because I would want to expand my collection. Also, football shirts because I don’t have that many. My team is Doncaster Rovers. Phillip, 11 Thoughtful pressies Tinou’s Shop jewellery box, £42 beckyandlolo.co.*** £38 amazon.co.*** This Christmas I would like to receive a musical jewellery box. I think this is a thoughtful and sentimental gift that you could treasure for many years to come. Lillie, 10 Big screen dreams ADX gaming monitor, £129 currys.co.*** Samsung Odyssey G3 gaming monitor, £129 samsung.com £99.99 amazon.co.*** For Christmas, I want a monitor for my gaming setup. I want it because my other TV is a couple of years old and keeps breaking when I want to play on it. Rhys, 10 St Patrick and St Edmund’s ********* Primary School, Birmingham Art ******* Artworx 125-piece art case, £23.50 amazon.co.*** YXSH 82-piece art set, £17.99 argos.co.*** I would like an art set for Christmas so that me and my sister can draw together. Fatima, nine Sticky ****** So ****** DIY mix-in kit 10 pack, £10 argos.co.*** £9.99 amazon.co.*** So ****** DIY magical potion maker, £30 argos.co.*** I would like a ****** set because ****** is relaxing and it helps you think about sticking to **** because ****** is sticky. Hafsa, nine Wheelie good X-Rated Shockwave BMX bike, £155 halfords.com Urban Gorilla BMX bike, £128 argos.co.*** I want a bike because I don’t how to ride a bicycle and I want my family to teach me. Mawuena, nine Beyblade stadium Beyblade X Beystadium Battle Arena, £10.40 thetoyshop.com £11.99 amazon.co.*** I want a Beyblade stadium because it helps me take away my stress. Bitania, nine Can you kick it? Mitre personalised football, £16 mitre.com Nike Pitch Team training football, from £14.98 amazon.co.*** I would like a football for Christmas because it’s my favourite hobby. Kimberly, nine Crafty kit Air dry clay kit, £19.99 amazon.co.*** £12.99 etsy.co.*** I would like a clay set because it’s something I like to do. Montell, nine Fully booked Bookshelf, £83.99 wayfair.co.*** I want a bookshelf full of books. Faithful, 10 Painting set Acrylic paints and brushes set, £12.99 amazon.co.*** £6 argos.co.*** I would like a painting set for Christmas because it makes me calm, refreshed and relaxed. Tyrecesia, 10 Tech Asus Chromebook, £149 currys.co.*** £148 johnlewis.com HP Stream 14in laptop, £249.99 amazon.co.*** £159 hp.com I would like a laptop because mine is broken and it will help me keep in contact with my friends and family and it helps with my work. Brilliance, nine A puppy Photograph: Jessica Peterson/Getty Images I would like a puppy because they make you happy, and they’re cute. They can even make you responsible because you have to take care of them. That’s lovely, right? Olivia, nine With thanks to the Guardian Foundation Source link #Christmas #gifts #tweens #chosen #12yearolds #Jellycat #toys #****** #Christmas Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Paul Mescal praises Saoirse Ronan for Graham Norton comments Paul Mescal praises Saoirse Ronan for Graham Norton comments BBC Saoirse Ronan joined Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne on The Graham Norton show Paul Mescal has said Saoirse Ronan “hit the nail on the head” when she spoke about women’s safety, in a clip that went viral. The two Irish stars appeared on The Graham Norton show last month, where fellow actor Eddie Redmayne explained he had been taught how to use a phone as a ******* while training for his role as an ********* in The Day of the Jackal. In response, Mescal, 28, questioned whether anyone would realistically have time to take their phone out when being attacked, before Ronan said: “That’s what ****** have to think about all the time. Am I right ladies?” Asked about the comments on Irish broadcaster RTE’s The Late Late Show, Mescal said Ronan had been “spot on”. The Gladiator II star said he was not surprised by the huge reaction on social media to her remarks, “because you’re like, as you said, you’re on a talk show like this, and you’re kind of just talking. “But I’m not surprised that the message received as much attention that it got, because it’s massively important and I’m sure you’ve had Saoirse on the show, like, she’s… quite often, more often than not, the most intelligent person in the room. “But I think she… was spot on, hit the nail on the head, and it’s also good that… messages like that are kind of gaining traction, like that’s a conversation that we should absolutely be having on a daily basis.” Saoirse Ronan talking about women’s safety on The Graham Norton Show Ronan, who is starring in the Oscar-tipped film Blitz, was applauded by the audience on the BBC One show and the clip was trending on social media for days afterwards. She later told ******* Radio *** the reaction to her comments was “wild” and “definitely not something that I had expected”. “I think there’s something really telling about the society that we’re in right now and about how open women want to be with the men in their lives,” she said. The 30-year-old added that the conversation “felt very similar to when I am at dinner with a bunch of my friends and I will always make the point that, well, this is actually an experience that we go through every single day, 100%.” She said it was “amazing” that this moment is “opening a conversation” and “allowing more women to just be like, well, yeah, actually, let’s talk about our experience”. She added the men on the talk show “weren’t sort of like debunking anything that I was saying”, and said Mescal “completely gets” the issue as they have talked about it before. Her remarks were praised at the time, with numerous commentators saying she highlighted a reality women face. After Ronan interjected with her comments, there was a brief silence before the audience applauded, while the men on the couch, and Norton, nodded their agreement and acknowledged her point. Ronan was on Norton’s sofa talking about her new role in Blitz, in which she plays Rita, a mother searching for her son as World War Two ravages London. Normal People actor Mescal is currently starring in blockbuster Gladiator II. Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated sequel following the 2000 epic has been met with a mixed response from film critics. Source link #Paul #Mescal #praises #Saoirse #Ronan #Graham #Norton #comments Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Random: Tetris Forever Is The Closest We’ll Get To Seeing Pokémon On PlayStation And Xbox Random: Tetris Forever Is The Closest We’ll Get To Seeing Pokémon On PlayStation And Xbox WTMG’s Leo Faria: “It doesn’t surprise me that Tetris Forever is so good. This is the fourth playable documentary by Digital Eclipse, and those guys take gaming history and preservation to an outstanding degree of love and care. The interviews are great (Alexey is just the most huggable uncle), the documents are neat, the easter eggs are a nice addition, and the sheer amount of versions of Tetris included in the package will please each and every single fan of the franchise. Sure, a few important ports are missing, but I can only put the blame on some faceless lawyers, not Digital Eclipse. Tetris is a juggernaut of a franchise, and Tetris Forever is a worthy love letter to its history and legacy. And without a doubt, Tetris is, indeed, forever.” Source link #Random #Tetris #Closest #Pokémon #PlayStation #Xbox Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Jekyll and Hyde’ leaders do lasting damage, new study shows ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ leaders do lasting damage, new study shows Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain There’s only one thing worse than an abusive boss—and that’s a boss who thinks they can make up for their bad behavior by turning on the charm the following day. That’s the key finding from a new study from researchers at Stevens Institute of Technology, which shows that employees’ morale and job performance decline sharply when leaders lurch unpredictably between good and bad behavior. “We already know that abusive leadership takes a serious toll on workers—but now we’re seeing that leaders who swing back and forth between abusive and ethical leadership do even more damage to employees,” says Dr. Haoying Xu, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of management in the Stevens School of Business. “It turns out that reverting to an ethical leadership style doesn’t magically erase the impact of prior bad behavior—and in some circumstances, it can actually make things worse.” The research, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, used surveys and field experiments to examine the impact of “Jekyll-and-Hyde” leadership on more than 650 full-time employees based in the ******* States and Europe. Dr. Xu’s team confirmed that the workers struggled when their supervisors were abusive—but found an even stronger negative impact when supervisors alternated unpredictably between abusive and ethical leadership styles. “If you’re constantly guessing which boss will turn up—the good cop or the bad cop—then you wind up emotionally exhausted, demoralized, and unable to work to your full potential,” Dr. Xu explains. The new research also shows for the first time that “Jekyll-and-Hyde” leadership can take a serious toll even when employees aren’t directly impacted by a leader’s on-again, off-again misbehavior. When a supervisor’s own boss alternated between abusive and ethical leadership, the study found, it created additional uncertainty and eroded employees’ confidence in the supervisor’s capabilities. “In today’s workplaces, employees are very attuned to their supervisors’ relationships with more senior leaders,” Dr. Xu says. “If that relationship becomes unpredictable, or is marked by repeated bouts of good and bad behavior, it can cause real problems for the whole team.” For organizations, the research offers some important new insights—most notably the fact that leaders who seek to atone for intermittent bad behavior are often doing real harm to their employees. “Organizations tend to intervene when bosses are consistently abusive, but are more tolerant of leaders whose abusive behavior only shows through from time to time,” Dr. Xu says. “With this study, however, we’ve shown that intermittent bad behavior can actually be more toxic for organizations.” To counter Jekyll-and-Hyde leadership, Dr. Xu says, organizations should pay attention to employees who voice concerns, and hold leaders accountable for sporadic abusive behavior. It’s also worth considering anger management coaching for leaders who show signs of volatility. “This kind of intermittent abusive leadership tends to be impulsive,” Dr. Xu says. “That means there’s scope to reduce or eliminate it by helping leaders to manage their tempers and improve their impulse control.” In future research, Dr. Xu hopes to explore how employees respond to and learn from Jekyll-and-Hyde leadership, and how a leader’s periodic abusive behavior impacts individual behavior and team dynamics. “There are some indications that this kind of leadership could be contagious, with a leader’s volatility fostering volatility in others,” he says. There is also some intriguing early evidence that employees might learn from and emulate a leader’s bad behavior more than they replicate their good behavior. “If that’s the case, then it would be another big reason for organizations to take Jekyll-and-Hyde leadership seriously,” Dr. Xu warns. More information: Haoying (Howie) Xu et al, Jekyll and Hyde leadership: Examining the direct and vicarious experiences of abusive and ethical leadership through a justice variability lens., Journal of Applied Psychology (2024). DOI: 10.1037/apl0001251 Provided by Stevens Institute of Technology Citation: ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ leaders do lasting damage, new study shows (2024, November 16) retrieved 16 November 2024 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Jekyll #Hyde #leaders #lasting #damage #study #shows Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India’s Gill in doubt for first Test after thumb ***** India’s Gill in doubt for first Test after thumb ***** India’s top-order concerns have been compounded, with fears Shubman Gill will miss the first Test against Australia in Perth with a thumb injury. Media were locked out of India’s centre-wicket training session at the WACA on Saturday, but Gill is believed to have suffered the injury while fielding in the slips. Multiple media reports from India have since confirmed Gill is now in serious doubt for the first Test starting in Perth on Thursday. The reports suggested Gill was more likely to play in the second Test in Adelaide on December 6. Any injury to Gill would come as a serious ***** to India, with opening batsman and captain Rohit Sharma yet to touch down in Australia due to personal reasons. KL Rahul also suffered a ***** to the elbow at training on Friday, but is expected to be fit to play at Optus Stadium. If Gill and Sharma are to miss the match, India could be forced to hand a debut to Abhimanyu Easwaran in Perth, with their batting options running low. India have already arrived in Australia under scrutiny, after suffering their first ever 3-0 series sweep at home when beaten by New Zealand in the past month. Source link #Indias #Gill #doubt #Test #thumb #***** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

T-Mobile was also infiltrated by China-linked telecom hackers T-Mobile was also infiltrated by China-linked telecom hackers Back in October, the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) admitted that they were looking into “the unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China.” These bad actors, collectively called “Salt Typhoon,” allegedly targeted US officials and staffers for the recently concluded presidential elections. A few days later, though, The Wall Street Journal reported that the group had access to a lot more people than originally thought. Basically, the hackers could have accessed the data of any ********* who’s a customer of AT&T and Verizon. That list of carriers has grown just a bit longer, because according to a new report by The Journal and Reuters, Salt Typhoon had also infiltrated T-Mobile’s network. The hackers are believed to have exploited various vulnerabilities, such as those plaguing Cisco Systems routers, to get inside the carriers’ network. They also used AI and machine learning, The Journal said, and stayed inside some of the systems they infiltrated for over eight months. That’s enough time to get away with a bunch of sensitive data — they were allegedly able to access the phone lines of US senior national security officials, as well as the call logs and unencrypted texts of their targets. The hackers were also reportedly able to access the information collected by carriers to comply with surveillance requests from the ********* authorities. A company spokesperson told The Journal that T-Mobile is “closely monitoring” the attacks and said that its systems and data “have not been impacted in any significant way.” They also said that the carrier didn’t find evidence that its customers’ information has been compromised in the security breach. Source link #TMobile #infiltrated #Chinalinked #telecom #hackers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Biden praises cooperation at meeting with South Korean, ********* leaders amid North Korea worries Biden praises cooperation at meeting with South Korean, ********* leaders amid North Korea worries Biden praises cooperation at meeting with South Korean, ********* leaders amid North Korea worries Source link #Biden #praises #cooperation #meeting #South #Korean #********* #leaders #North #Korea #worries Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Slam and Roll review – Games Asylum Slam and Roll review – Games Asylum “Bubble Bobble fans have been waiting quite a while for a sequel to Bubble Bobble 4, but the closest thing on the horizon is the upcoming modern port of Parasol Stars. That leaves plenty of opportunity for homage, something we find in a new Steam title called Slam and Roll that is also coming to consoles. In this one, a group of sports loving kids travel the world and bust lots of baddies. Naturally, it supports 2-player local co-op,” says Co-Optimus. Source link #Slam #Roll #review #Games #Asylum Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Taylor beats Serrano after contentious points decision Taylor beats Serrano after contentious points decision Ireland’s Katie Taylor successfully retains her undisputed light-welterweight title with a points win against Amanda Serrano at the AT&T Stadium in Texas. Source link #Taylor #beats #Serrano #contentious #points #decision Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Toyota defends new LandCruiser Prado fuel range Toyota defends new LandCruiser Prado fuel range Due to the location of the spare wheel, Toyota isn’t planning to offer a sub fuel tank for the new Prado 250 Series. Source link #Toyota #defends #LandCruiser #Prado #fuel #range Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Everything You Need to Know Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Everything You Need to Know Here’s everything you should know about MachineGames’ Indy adventure. Source link #Indiana #Jones #Great #Circle Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft Could Help This Magnificent ETF Turn $250,000 Into $1 Million Nvidia, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft Could Help This Magnificent ETF Turn $250,000 Into $1 Million Artificial intelligence (AI) might be the most revolutionary technology in a generation. Depending on which Wall Street forecast you rely upon, it could add between $7 trillion and $200 trillion to the global economy over the next decade. Some companies are already reaping the rewards. Nvidia, for example, has added a staggering $3.2 trillion to its market capitalization in the last two years alone. Start Your Mornings Smarter! Wake up with Breakfast news in your inbox every market day. Sign Up For Free » But previous tech revolutions, like the dot-com internet ***** and bust in the late 1990s and early 2000s, have taught us that picking winners and losers won’t be easy. After all, Amazon started out by selling books online in 1994, but most of its profit now comes from cloud computing instead — a business that didn’t even exist when the company was founded. Who could have predicted that? Investors don’t have to be expert stock pickers if they buy an AI-focused exchange-traded fund (ETF). The iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF (NYSEMKT: IGM) owns practically every AI stock an investor could want, and it could turn an investment of $250,000 into $1 million over the long term. Image source: Getty Images. The objective of the iShares ETF is to offer investors broad exposure to technology and technology-related companies spanning hardware, software, interactive media, and more. It was established in 2001 so it has navigated several tech booms including the internet, cloud computing, and enterprise software. The ETF currently holds 278 different stocks, but it’s relatively concentrated. Its top four positions alone account for 33.1% of the total value of its portfolio, but they are among the key players in the AI industry: Stock iShares ETF Portfolio Weighting 1. Nvidia 9.48% 2. Meta Platforms 8.48% 3. Apple 7.67% 4. Microsoft 7.55% Data source: iShares. Portfolio weightings are accurate as of Nov. 12, 2024, and are subject to change. Nvidia supplies powerful graphics processors (GPUs) for the data center, which are used to develop AI models. Demand continues to outstrip supply, and the company’s revenue has soared by triple-digit percentages in each of the last five quarters. Nvidia just started shipping its new Blackwell GPUs, which offer an incredible leap in performance and cost efficiency, so they should drive strong sales growth for the foreseeable future. Meta and Microsoft are both customers of Nvidia. Meta fills its data centers with GPUs to train its Llama large language models (LLMs), which it’s using to create new AI features for its Facebook and Instagram social networks. Microsoft, on the other hand, created a virtual assistant called Copilot which can generate text, images, and even computer code. Plus, the Microsoft Azure cloud platform offers developers access to the computing capacity and LLMs they need to build their own AI software. Story Continues Apple is still early in its AI journey. It just started rolling out Apple Intelligence, which is available to owners of its latest iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. It delivers new writing tools that can instantly summarize and generate text, and it also introduces new capabilities to the Siri voice assistant thanks to a partnership with OpenAI. But the iShares ETF holds a number of other popular AI stocks outside of its top four. They include Alphabet, Oracle, Advanced Micro Devices, CrowdStrike, and more. The iShares ETF has generated a compound annual return of 10.9% since its inception in 2001, which is much better than the average annual return of 8.2% delivered by the S&P 500 index. However, the compound annual return in the iShares ETF accelerated to 20.1% over the last 10 years thanks to the growing adoption of technologies like cloud computing, enterprise software, and now, AI. The below table shows how long it could take the ETF to turn an investment of $250,000 into $1 million based on a range of different annual returns: Starting Balance Compound Annual Return Time to Reach $1 Million $250,000 10.9% 14 Years $250,000 15.5% (midpoint) 10 Years $250,000 20.1% 8 Years Calculations by author. It would be extremely difficult for any fund to consistently generate a return of more than 20% per year over the long term, because the law of large numbers eventually becomes a headwind. Almost half of Nvidia’s revenue comes from just four customers, and it’s unlikely they can spend hundreds of billions of dollars (combined) on AI infrastructure every year in perpetuity. Additionally, Meta already has 3.3 billion daily active users, so the company will eventually hit a growth ceiling unless the world’s population significantly expands. With that said, the iShares ETF could turn $250,000 into $1 million within 14 years even if its average annual return reverts back to 10.9%. It could grow more quickly if the value created by AI truly lives up to some of the estimates I mentioned at the top, but the reverse is also true — stocks like Nvidia will heavily underperform if AI fails to meet expectations. That’s why it’s a good idea for investors to own the iShares ETF as part of a balanced portfolio of other funds or individual stocks. Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you’ll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a “Double Down” stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you’re worried you’ve already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it’s too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Amazon: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2010, you’d have $23,818!* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you’d have $43,221!* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you’d have $451,527!* Right now, we’re issuing “Double Down” alerts for three incredible companies, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon. See 3 “Double Down” stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of November 11, 2024 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Anthony Di Pizio has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, CrowdStrike, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Oracle. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Nvidia, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft Could Help This Magnificent ETF Turn $250,000 Into $1 Million was originally published by The Motley Fool Source link #Nvidia #Meta #Apple #Microsoft #Magnificent #ETF #Turn #Million Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Parachute OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch Tamil Drama Movie Online? Parachute OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch Tamil Drama Movie Online? The much-anticipated Tamil drama Parachute, starring Krishna and Kishore, is set to stream on Disney+ Hotstar from November 29. Directed by Sridhar K, the film introduces a heartfelt narrative about childhood, familial relationships and the challenges of parenthood. Alongside the lead actors, the ensemble cast includes Kani Thiru, Kaali Venkat and child artists Shakthi Ritwik and Iyal. A multilingual release ensures that Parachute will be accessible to audiences in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi and Bengali. When and Where to Watch Parachute Parachute will be available for streaming exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar starting November 29, 2024. While it is primarily a Tamil-language production, the availability of multiple dubs that the movie will reach a wider audience across India. Official Trailer and Plot of Parachute The official trailer for Parachute was released on social media, providing a glimpse into its emotional core. The story centres around two children, their adventurous escapades and the panic caused within their family and community when they go missing. A poignant moment in the trailer highlights a father scolding his son, after which the kids set off on a motorbike, unknowingly triggering a series of dramatic events. The trailer portrays the frantic search by the parents, police and local community, blending suspense and drama. Cast and Crew of Parachute The film features Krishna in a dual role as lead actor and producer, under his production banner Tribal Horse Entertainment. Kishore, Kani Thiru and Kaali Venkat take on key roles, supported by a talented cast, including child actors Shakthi Ritwik and Iyal. Sridhar K directs the project, with Om Narayan as cinematographer and Richard Kevin handling the editing. Source link #Parachute #OTT #Release #Date #Watch #Tamil #Drama #Movie #Online Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ninja Thirsti Max review: your own personal soda machine Ninja Thirsti Max review: your own personal soda machine Ninja Thirsti Max: one-minute review Reduce the use of single-use bottles and cans by making your own carbonated beverages at home with the Ninja Thirsti Max. With a touch of the CO2 button, you can add a low, medium, or high level of carbonation for fizzy drinks or you can skip the carbonation entirely for a still beverage. The Ninja Thirsti Max comes with four bottles of Flavored Drops, which you’ll need if you want to make anything besides plain seltzer water. Ninja makes a variety of these flavor drops in different categories: Zero Soda, Seltzer, Fruiti Chill (electrolytes or B vitamins), and Fruiti Chill+ (with caffeine). You can also adjust the amount of flavoring that goes into your drink, either low or high. The machine holds two flavor drop bottles at once, so you can combine the flavors into one drink, proportioned the way you like. You can make four different drink sizes: 6oz, 12oz, 18oz, or one liter. With some experimentation, I found the fizz and flavor level I liked best. I tested out eight different flavors, at least one from each category. I liked some flavors better than others, but overall the drinks were tasty. The flavored seltzer drops are unsweetened, similar to a La Croix or other sparkling water. All of the other flavor drops are sweetened with the artificial sweetener sucralose. Ninja Thirsti Max: price and availability List price: $169.99 (about £132 / AU$259) The Ninja Thirsti Max is available at all the major retailers you’d expect, both in brick and mortar stores and online. The price includes a CO2 tank and four bottles of Ninja Flavored Drops. If you order directly from Ninja’s website, you can select the exact flavors you’d like, otherwise you get four pre-selected flavors in the box. The Flavored Drops retail for $6.99 (£5.43 / AU$10.64) apiece. Each bottle yields 17-20 12oz beverages. The 60L CO2 tank runs $36.99 (£28.76 / AU$56.34), but you can save 30% by recycling your spent tank each time. Each canister should carbonate about 100 12oz drinks, depending on how carbonated you like your beverages. Ninja Thirsti Max: specifications Swipe to scroll horizontally Price $169.99 Beverage sizes 6oz, 12oz, 18oz, 1L Tank capacity 60L Size 8 1/4 x 12 5/8 x 16in / 20.9 x 32 x 40.6cm (WxDxH) Carbonation levels: None, low, medium, high Flavor intensity: None, low, high Ninja Thirsti Max: design and features Easy to use Choose your fizz and flavor intensity Choose your beverage size The Ninja Thirsti Max is a nice neutral matte metallic gray that will probably look at home with nearly any kitchen decor. It’s not a tiny machine, but it’s reasonably-sized for what it does. Setting up the Ninja Thirsti Max is easy and takes just a couple of minutes. Plug it in, insert the CO2 tank, fill the water tank, attach the drink tray, place your Flavored Drops into their slots, and you’re ready to go. (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future) The 60L CO2 tank is neatly hidden behind a door in the back, so once it’s installed you don’t notice it. (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future) The water tank also happens to have a 60L capacity. Ninja recommends that you use either very cold water or water plus ice in order to maximize your carbonation and taste. The water tank has a plunger so you can quickly chill your ice water by pressing it up and down a few times. (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future) The height of the drink tray can be adjusted depending on the size of the cup or glass you’re filling. It can also be removed if you’re using an extra large cup. (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future) Ninja Thirsti Max: performance The Ninja Thirsti Max works exactly as Ninja describes. Once you have set up the machine, choose the flavor intensity you want from each Flavored drop bottle: none, low, or high. Choose your beverage size: 6oz, 12oz, 18oz, or 1L. Choose your carbonation level: none, low, medium, or high. Place your cup under the nozzle and press start. The Ninja Thirsti Max will beep when your drink is ready. Ninja recommends using ice water or very cold water in the water tank, and I agree that you get a better result if you do that. I’d also recommend emptying the water tank and adding fresh water once a day or each time the ice melts, otherwise your drink can have a stale ‘melted ice’ flavor. (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future) The real limitation of the Ninja Thirsti Max is the Flavored Drops. There are currently more than two dozen zero sugar flavors with more on the way. The seltzer flavor drops are unsweetened, but all of the other flavors are sweetened with sucralose, the artificial sweetener found in Splenda. There are no flavors with sugar or any other sweeteners in the lineup as of this writing. I tried all of the Flavored Drops that Ninja sent me to test. There were four soda flavors: root *****, orange, cola, and Dr Thirsti. I also received a lemonade with added vitamins, strawberry kiwi electrolyte beverage, peach mango energy drink, and unsweetened ****** cherry seltzer. (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future) The sodas are new to the Ninja Thirsti lineup. They all tasted pretty much like the diet sodas they are intended to replicate. However, the cola and Dr Thirsti flavors wouldn’t fool you into thinking they are Diet Coke or Diet Dr Pepper in a ****** taste test. (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future) Ninja has changed the labeling on their original Flavored Drops, and I got both some of the old and the new. ‘Hydrate’ and ‘Vitamins’ became ‘Fruiti Chill’, ‘Energy’ became ‘Fruiti Chill+’, and what was called “Splash” is now “Seltzer.” All of the ones I tried were pretty tasty, once I got the right flavor intensity and level of fizz for my taste. All of the carbonation levels were sufficient, but I liked the highest level the best. I find I generally prefer a low level of flavor intensity since the higher level tended to be quite sweet, but your tastes may vary. In some cases, I even added extra plain seltzer to cut the ********** a bit. It’s important to note that I do use sucralose in my everyday life, so I’m used to the way it tastes and I’m fine with it. If you don’t, you might not enjoy it. (Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future) Of course, the seltzer flavor drops are not sweetened at all, and making sparkling water might be some people’s main reason for buying the machine. I’m a big sparkling water drinker, and lugging home multi-packs of canned water is a hassle. I found the Ninja Thirsti ****** cherry seltzer to be comparable in both fizz and flavor to popular canned sparkling waters like La Croix, Polar, Waterloo, and others. Keep in mind, there is nothing stopping you from making plain seltzer in the Ninja Thirsti Max and adding whatever you like to it. I tried adding a favorite powdered drink mix to the plain seltzer I made and that was great. You could also try adding fruit juice or even wine for a sort of spritzer beverage. You can always add flavor drops from any other brands. Should you buy the Ninja Thirsti Max? Swipe to scroll horizontally Ninja Thirsti Max report card Attribute Notes Rating Value If you spend a lot on carbonated beverages, this machine might save you some money. Keep in mind you’ll still have to buy CO2 tanks and flavor drops. 4.5/5 Design It’s well-designed, nice-enough looking, and easy to use. 4.5/5 Performance The machine does everything exactly as it claims it will. But not everyone will love the taste of the proprietary flavor drops. 4/5 Overall I was quite happy with the Ninja Thirsti Max overall. However, the limited flavor variety and sucralose sweetener may be a turn-off for some people. 4/5 Buy it if Don’t buy it if Ninja Thirsti Max: also consider If you’re not sure about the Ninja Thirsti Max, here are some other options to consider… How I tested the Ninja Thirsti Max I tasted a variety of beverages I tried different carbonation levels and different flavor intensities I made plain seltzer and added my own drink mix I’ve been drinking lots and lots of fizzy drinks over the past couple of weeks. I tried all eight of the flavors that Ninja sent me, plus I tried adding my own drink mix to plain seltzer. I tried different fizz levels and different flavor intensities. Personally I liked the lower flavor setting, as the higher flavor setting yielded too sweet of a beverage for my taste. All of the fizz settings were really fine, but I kept it set to maximum carbonation for the longest lasting bubbles. I tried mixing some of the flavors together, though I didn’t find a combination that I really loved. Everyone’s tastes are different, though. Read more about how we test. First reviewed November 2024 Source link #Ninja #Thirsti #Max #review #personal #soda #machine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is Bluesky, the fast-growing social platform welcoming fleeing X users? What is Bluesky, the fast-growing social platform welcoming fleeing X users? Jakub Porzycki/ | Nurphoto | Getty Images Disgruntled X users are again flocking to Bluesky, a newer social media platform that grew out of the former Twitter before billionaire Elon Musk took it over in 2022. While it ******** small compared to established online spaces such as X, it has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk. What is Bluesky? Championed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That invite-only ******* gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other features. The platform resembles Musk’s X, with a “discover” feed and a chronological feed for accounts that users follow. Users can send direct messages and pin posts, as well as find “starter packs” that provide a curated list of people and custom feeds to follow. Why is Bluesky growing? Bluesky said in mid-November that its total users surged to 15 million, up from roughly 13 million at the end of October, as some X users look for an alternative platform to post their thoughts and talk to others online. The post-election uptick in users isn’t the first time Bluesky has benefited from people leaving X. The platform gained 2.6 million users in the week after X was banned in Brazil in August — 85% of them from Brazil, the company said. About 500,000 new users signed up in one day in October, when X signaled that blocked acascounts would be able to see a user’s public posts. Across the platform, new users — among them journalists, left-leaning politicians and celebrities — have posted memes and shared that they were looking forward to using a space free from advertisements and hate speech. Some said it reminded them of the early days of Twitter more than a decade ago. Despite Bluesky’s growth, X posted after the election that it had “dominated the global conversation on the U.S. election” and had set new records. Beyond social networking Bluesky, though, has ******* ambitions than to supplant X. Beyond the platform itself, it is building a technical foundation — what it calls “a protocol for public conversation” — that could make social networks work across different platforms — also known as interoperability — like email, blogs or phone numbers. Currently, you can’t cross between social platforms to leave a comment on someone’s account. Twitter users must stay on Twitter and TikTok users must stay on TikTok if they want to interact with accounts on those services. Big Tech companies have largely built moats around their online properties, which helps serve their advertising-focused business models. Bluesky is trying to reimagine all of this and working toward interoperability. Source link #Bluesky #fastgrowing #social #platform #welcoming #fleeing #users Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PS5 Pro Runs Max PC Settings in Lords of the Fallen, Says Dev; A Comparable PC Would Be More Costly PS5 Pro Runs Max PC Settings in Lords of the Fallen, Says Dev; A Comparable PC Would Be More Costly senorfartcushion1d 3h ago And your only reaction will be making another Batman game similar to Arkham, instesd of experimenting with other DC heroes ALA Green Arrow. The one issue that I’d **** thought about was how much of an effect ******** Squad KTJL would have had on a potential Superman and Justice League game. The fact that the game is set in metropolis alone means that it will be hard to get that game a green light. Source link #PS5 #Pro #Runs #Max #Settings #Lords #Fallen #Dev #Comparable #Costly Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Children in Need 2024… in 91 seconds Children in Need 2024… in 91 seconds Almost £40m was raised by the end of Friday night’s Children In Need 2024 live programme. The money will help disadvantaged young people across the ******* Kingdom. It includes £8.8m raised by the presenter Paddy McGuinness on his five day cycling challenge from Wales through England to Scotland, on a children’s Chopper bike. The total is set to rise as more money comes in. Source link #Children #2024.. #seconds Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AFLW preliminary final schedule AFLW preliminary final schedule Schedule for the AFLW preliminary finals, with Port to take on North Melbourne and Brisbane hosting Adelaide. Source link #AFLW #preliminary #final #schedule Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Activists at UN climate talks in Baku call on world leaders to keep their promises Activists at UN climate talks in Baku call on world leaders to keep their promises Climate activists staged a demonstration at the UN’s COP29 talks in Baku on Saturday, calling on the world leaders to “keep their promises” when it come to tackling planetary warming. Activists held up signs urging for promises to be kept and tied ribbons to ropes in tribute to a religious tradition called Cirio de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré in the north region of Brazil. (AP video shot by Ahmed Hatem) Source link #Activists #climate #talks #Baku #call #world #leaders #promises Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Turns out the zombie apocalypse isn’t as fun as they said it would be – Rebecca Solnit on our dangerously disconnected world | Society Turns out the zombie apocalypse isn’t as fun as they said it would be – Rebecca Solnit on our dangerously disconnected world | Society Nobody’s home. Not in the young woman with the big headphones cycling against the light. Not in the person in the middle of the crossing staring at their phone, or the person talking to someone who’s not there and ignoring the one they’re pushing in the baby carriage, or the distracted driver who doesn’t seem to notice those cyclists and pedestrians. So I move through a world of people who are not all the way there and sometimes hardly there at all – and who don’t seem to want anyone else to be there either. Aversion to direct contact with others has become so normal in my home town – San Francisco, a city swallowed up by Silicon Valley – that I’ve become avoidant myself after too many encounters with people who seem to find it bafflingly transgressive to engage with any casual remark or question from a stranger, and mostly fail to respond. I wander in a city that feels ghostly, depopulated, even when bodies are on the street, and I feel like a ghost myself in the lack of acknowledgment, in others’ blank reluctance to utter even those tiny “excuse me” negotiations to get around someone or warn someone. The pandemic emptied out the streets, but this is another kind of emptiness – it often seems as though fewer people are out and about, but also the people still present are a lot less present. Had this happened overnight it would be a sci-fi horror movie scenario – people seeming numbed, dazed, their attention captured and manipulated by the contents of tiny devices controlled by powerful corporations, a billion Manchurian candidates in a wifi-equipped Metropolis. A Night of the Living ***** to You. But it’s happened so incrementally it’s become normal for us all to be in that limbo, that bardo. All of which is to say, welcome to my zombie movie, which I daresay is also yours to some extent. San Francisco still has its walkable, dense cityscape, but no longer the sense – especially among the young and affluent – that it is a place you belong to by connecting. I am not confident the people I pass by would do anything more than take out their phones to record an ********, if they noticed at all Rightwing tech bros and ************* media have pushed hard at the idea that San Francisco is a scary, dangerous place to walk around in, so much so that when a friend came to the city, his Lyft driver repeated the idea that he – a tall, fit ex-New Yorker – should quail at the idea of traversing our streets. They are, in one way, a little more dangerous: if people out in public keep each other safe as potential witnesses and participants, the withdrawal from paying attention, the reluctance to intervene, makes us less safe. I am not confident a lot of the people I pass by would do anything more than take out their phones to record an ********, if they noticed and stopped at all. And, after decades of decline, pedestrian fatalities have risen nationwide at the hands of distracted drivers (the extent to which distracted pedestrians also play a role has been less studied and, of course, the arguments for the driverless cars now cruising around San Francisco could be that we need this technology because we’ve been captured by another one). So maybe it is less safe, not for the reasons they claim, but for reasons they’re complicit in. A lot of people seem to move through the streets as though they’re somehow both hostile and boring, and they are more boring now that people around us are less engaged and more enterprises are outlets of corporate chains such as Starbucks and Walgreens, so there’s nothing distinctive or local and no one lasting to get to know. The ******* to withdraw, to seek smoothness and avoid the potential friction of contact, arises from the view that nonparticipation is self-protection, in contrast to the older idea that being urban is a participatory sport. Promenading, strolling to see and be seen, was a celebrated, desired part of urban life in the 19th and much of the 20th century, whether it meant showing off your Sunday finery on the boulevard or cruising the sidestreets under cover of darkness in search of ******* opportunities. The films of an earlier era feature jaunty boulevardiers or lady flaneurs moving from encounter to encounter. The detectives in classic film noir movies are masterful because they know cops, cabbies, bartenders, reporters, crooks, nightclub hat-check ****** and everyone in between. They’re love songs to cities that are made out of connections and circulation. It’s true that after the golden age of such movies, we in the US had a few decades of high urban street ******, now long over; true that police have always been a menace to ****** people, men to women – but the conviviality of the ****** neighbourhood I lived in in the 80s, and the nearby gay neighbourhood I wandered through then, was real and, despite my own youthful experiences with street harassment, I have never stopped walking the city. Democracy itself is based in trust in strangers and a sense of having something in common with them (which is part of why xenophobia and ***** of ****** serve fascist agendas so well). Circulating freely among them – especially in the diverse places most cities are – helps inculcate this feeling; it gives you a sense of confidence, of being able to coexist with difference. It orients you, literally, and it’s very useful knowledge in an emergency. That’s what’s celebrated in those old movies and shunned in the rhetoric and designs of the new technologies. I suspect a lot of people are now if not outright disoriented, not really oriented to where they live. Unlike using a map to find your way, which gradually becomes superfluous as you internalise it, using an app means obeying instructions without grasping the underlying geography, so you never really learn where you are. As someone who learned to navigate several cities and regions before smartphones came in, I wonder about the spatial blur the phone-reliant inhabit, the lack of a mental picture of the terrain. As San Francisco awaits its next big earthquake, I also wonder how my most tech-dependent neighbours will cope when it comes and electricity, and likely cell phone towers, fail. This navigational withdrawal, like the others, is egged on by the new technologies, in part because it’s useful to them if everything we do is mediated by a product they’re selling, either directly because we bought the phone or paid for the service plan, or indirectly because, as the tech adage goes, “if it’s free, you’re the product”. When you’re on social media or using a search engine, it’s harvesting your data and collecting revenue from pushing targeted ads at you, unless you went through the acrobatics of opting out. Some of the old points of connection have disappeared – automatic toll machines replace the people in booths, self-checkout replaces the cash register, renewing your car registration, bill-paying and banking can be done online, as can buying almost anything. Other connection points are still there, but shunned. There’s a Middle Eastern deli run by a really nice guy I go to sometimes – the first time I went in he gave me some free falafel while I waited; he’s greeted me warmly every time since, but these days on the tables are signs for “contactless ordering”, in case you want to scan the QR code right there because walking the few steps up to the counter and speaking would be too much. Many restaurants have put their menus online and offer a QR code to access it even when you’re there in person, a dismal way to find out what’s on offer; a San Francisco mall has signs on its entrances offering a QR code to find out its hours, rather than simply putting them on the signs; sometimes filtering things through phones seems reflexive, even when direct information is easy to come by. Of course, you can just order takeaway and avoid contact almost entirely. I had a startling experience last year in a ******** restaurant here – it was half-empty when we sat down and ordered dinner; an hour later it turned out our food hadn’t come because our order came in after dozens of online orders, which were being filled first. The kitchen was very busy, but not for those there in person. The takeaway *****, which works by pressuring restaurants to cut prices for the tech companies running the services carried out by underpaid workers, has created its own in-between, in which neither the creative labour of cooking your own dinner nor the gregariousness of eating out occurs. In between the wholly public space of city streets and parks and the entirely private space of home are the workplaces, cafes, restaurants and other social spaces in decline in various ways. For example, Silicon Valley has provided both the technology and the arguments for working from home, which has emptied out San Francisco’s centre and made it something of a ghost town, with the ripple effect of bankrupting sandwich shops and retail establishments there. (Cafes in this city had too often become de facto workplaces in which freelancers were silently absorbed in their screens, which prompted some to stop offering wifi and others to stop offering anything but takeaway drinks.) I recognise the benefits of being spared some of the lousy aspects of in-person work, including time-consuming commutes and related emissions, office attire, workplace ******* harassment. But it’s happened without much discussion of what else occurs in the workplace besides work, including friendships, mentorships, conversations, human contact and informal and formal worker solidarity. This is part of a larger shift towards pursuing the quantifiable – productivity, efficiency, profitability – while overlooking or devaluing the unquantifiable. The science journalist Victoria Atkinson wrote recently in praise of the coffee break. She states that in the labs she used to work in as a chemist, “from the very beginning of my time to now, years after leaving, I have found these pauses from work one of the most productive uses of my time”. This is because in the conversations around her when she was starting out, “I began to pick up the little bits and pieces of knowledge that make lab work quicker and easier – the kind of advice and information you’d never find in a paper or a departmental handbook.” She adds that “more than once, a suggestion over coffee led to an important breakthrough” and as she became more experienced, she became one of the participants offering, as well as receiving, guidance and took pleasure in that. Illustration: The Red Dress/The Guardian It’s a small jump from there to the fact that the workplace once featured prominently among the ways couples used to meet. In the 80s, according to one study, the second most common way couples met was through work. Of course, now it’s primarily through online means, notably dating apps (and most of them are harvesting your data for ***** to third parties). I’m all for love, but the rise of online services reflects the decline of other means of connecting. As unmediated in-person places and experiences get undermined by technology, we become yet more dependent on the technology, and that’s part of the horror movie. At the gym a few months ago, I spent at least 15 minutes waiting for a guy to get off the weight machine I wanted to use, a guy who would do a desultory short set of reps, then sit on the device scrolling through Grindr. The annoyance wasn’t so much that he was shopping for **** as that, for an exceptionally long stretch, he was doing something a lot of people in this gym do: use their phones to distract themselves between sets, but also to stay in the bubble that justifies their obliviousness to the people waiting for them to be finished. The mobile phone is not only a device offering you things to pay attention to but also offers you a way not to pay attention to other things. I could have forced Grindr guy to shake out of his trance and let me take a turn, but it would have been so unwelcome an act that I gave up instead. It was not my job to make someone who was wilfully anywhere-but-here show up. I suspect all these things are worse because I live in a city annexed by Silicon Valley, and I’ve lately found more civic joy in New York City and in Querétaro, Mexico. But the affliction is worldwide, and you’re in it, too. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Vampires have devoured our attention and left us the ghosts of public and civic and community life. Tech has sold us not only the capacity to withdraw but the logic of it, with the rhetoric – at least since the late 90s dotcom ***** and the birth of online shopping and banking – that insists leaving the house, milling around, talking to strangers, going to your bank or the post office, or even eating out in a restaurant is inconvenient, unpleasant, unnecessary and possibly dangerous. Some of the justification for the withdrawal seems to be efficiency – the capitalist sense that time is money and you need to hoard the former so you can work incessantly to earn the latter. Another piece of it is the idea that the activities of daily life are so tedious and burdensome that you should try to avoid them. There are upscale counter-narratives that sometimes penetrate – think of baking sourdough bread during the pandemic, or knitting, or growing tomatoes, things that are not about getting ahead economically, but are about reconnecting to manual skills and activities, to seeing a process through rather than just getting the product, to slowing down rather than speeding up. In Zen training, just sweeping or washing the dishes can be an occasion for mindfulness, and being fully present – just doing that one thing with full attention, not being half there and half elsewhere – is an important part of the practice. Tech, by contrast, promotes ghosting your own embodied life and the systems that support it (though it also offers mindfulness apps you can install on your phone). The people designing and promoting and profiting off those technologies genuinely seem to both shun the turbulent, unpredictable world out there and to believe substitutes for direct and authentic human contact and experience are as good as the real thing – all the way down to virtual reality, virtual girlfriends and AI therapists. There is no shortage of actual human beings, but society is increasingly organised – in no small part by these merchants of withdrawal – to make it ******* to connect, which becomes the justification for pushing these substitutes. We’re now in the midst of an international loneliness pandemic whose impact on mental – and even physical – health, as well as happiness, is now a subject of medical concern. If you object that we’re not in a zombie movie because there are no brain-eating cannibals, let me reassure you, there are. The corporations are devouring our attention, and chewing our lives down to the bone to get at our data. They have shown their ruthlessness in what they offer as long as they capture us and extract our attention, information and other assets from us. And the harm is real. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) turned a ****** eye to Facebook Messenger being used for the Rohingya genocide a few years back or for organising extremist militias on Facebook now. Meta’s Instagram is clearly fine with teenage body issues, social anxiety and suicides as long as the profits roll in, and the same goes for X and TikTok when it comes to misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, or YouTube with algorithms pushing extremist content. All these sites have been used to corrupt elections, and X owner Elon Musk himself promoted extremist content and misinformation as he toiled to elect Donald Trump. It’s not nearly well-enough known that Jair Bolsanaro, the far-right Brazilian president from 2019-23, rose to power and prominence thanks to his YouTube videos and the algorithm’s promotion of them. This means the destruction of the Amazon and attacks on indigenous groups during Bolsanaro’s time in office can be traced back in part to YouTube’s parent company Google/Alphabet in Silicon Valley. At the far end of this nightmare is China’s Orwellian surveillance society, in which few activities are free of government oversight and violation of the rules leads to dire consequences. The new technologies have created a whole realm of new vulnerabilities. Identity theft, hacking, stalkerware and revenge ***** are among the more literal kinds. Russian troll farms and manosphere influencers, *********** theorists and incels have found ways to warp minds and instil corrosive beliefs. I hear stories of young people rejecting smart phones and online life – but they’re salmon swimming upstream Young people are particularly vulnerable, and what happens to them when they’re sucked into the online world is widely linked to rises in bullying, sleep disorders, depression, loneliness, ********, the intake of misinformation, the recruitment of white boys in particular into rightwing, ******* and misogynist online spaces, and the decline of real face-to-face friendships. Some studies suggest youths’ susceptibility is tied to parental neglect due to the same causes, notably to parental “phubbing”, a word coined to describe the snubbing that occurs when someone is technically present but ignoring others by being absorbed in phone use. In a 2024 Pew study, 46% of ********* teenagers surveyed “say their parent is at least sometimes distracted by their phone when they’re trying to talk to them, including 8% who say this happens often”. Online social media and search engines, notably Google, cannibalise actual news-producing organisations and siphon off their ad revenue, notably that of newspapers, which are dying in the US at the rate of about two a week. That is, the very local ones are really dying out and even many of the big ones are gutting their staff, partly to stay afloat and partly because some of them now belong to investors who are stripping them for parts. With less local news there’s less local knowledge and civic participation, more room for *********** and unaccountable institutions (and while there are local news sites and blogs, podcasts and other online information sources that do a great job, they’re not reaching people the way a local newspaper once did or, for the most part, doing the kind of reporting newspapers do). Local news advocate Steven Waldman writes, “One study of toxic emissions at 40,000 plants found that when newspapers reported on pollution, emissions declined by 29% compared with plants that were not covered.” In a famous incident in 2002, a train derailed in a small North Dakota town and “five tank cars carrying anhydrous ammonia ruptured, filling the area with a poisonous gas cloud. But a public warning over radio wasn’t broadcast for nearly 90 minutes. One person *****, and more than 300 were injured.” The problem was there was no longer a local radio station or other local means of raising the alarm, only corporate stations playing automated programmes. No one was home. I hear stories of young people consciously rejecting smart phones and online life, and finding ways to connect in person – but they’re salmon swimming upstream. Their resistance is valiant, but individual will is far from adequate to escape the grasp of these corporations and recommit to the fading world of the here and now and embodied and gregarious. I don’t have a sweeping solution, but I think recognising that one of our deepest human desires is to connect, to belong, to be at home, and that doing so is made up of innumerable small in-person acts, might be a start. Source link #Turns #zombie #apocalypse #isnt #fun #Rebecca #Solnit #dangerously #disconnected #world #Society Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*** snow and ice warnings as weather forecast to turn colder *** snow and ice warnings as weather forecast to turn colder As colder Arctic air moves southward across the *** over the weekend, wintry showers will start across northern Scotland on Sunday afternoon. The Met Office warn that around 5-10cm of snow could settle on higher ground in northern Scotland into Monday morning with 1-3cm possible to lower levels. Along with falling temperatures overnight into Monday, this will also bring the risk of ice. Arctic air also tends to be cleaner so with some clear skies on Sunday night, there could be a good chance of seeing the Leniod meteor shower. A weather system will push in from the Atlantic on Monday and this is where there could be some uncertainty in the forecast. While rain is expected across much of England and Wales, there will be some snow falling on the northern boundary of this area. Higher ground in Northern Ireland, northern England and southern Scotland will be most likely to see snow . Met Office yellow warnings have been issued on Monday and Tuesday for northern England and southern Scotland. Over the high ground of the Pennines, there could be 15-20cm of snow accumulating and possibly causing some disruption. Towns and cities at lower elevations also have a risk of disruptive snow, perhaps 2-10cm in places, but this will depend on the precise track of the rain moving across the *** – the heaviness of the precipitation and the elevation of the land. As we are still in mid-November, the ground ******** relatively warm and therefore it will be ******* for snow to settle at low-levels. Snow showers will continue to fall in Northern Scotland on Monday and Tuesday. Source link #snow #ice #warnings #weather #forecast #turn #colder Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘I can’t live my life’: Disability advocate’s plea after he was left stranded for 3 hours ‘I can’t live my life’: Disability advocate’s plea after he was left stranded for 3 hours A man was left with a hefty fee when a routine hospital visit turned into an “emergency” after he was left stranded waiting for a taxi. Source link #live #life #Disability #advocates #plea #left #stranded #hours Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mom ***** After Getting Ejected From Golf Cart Mom ***** After Getting Ejected From Golf Cart Mary Blasetti was ejected from a cart at a golf community in Annapolis, Maryland. The 32-year-old mom had to be airlifted to a hospital. Many places are now treating golf carts like cars, and safety is being taken into consideration by many manufacturers. Blasetti ***** two days later. She leaves behind a husband and a 2-month-old baby. The investigation into the ****** of the young mother is still underway. Source link #Mom #***** #Ejected #Golf #Cart Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Catcalls and being followed – why women ***** running in the dark Catcalls and being followed – why women ***** running in the dark BBC Natalie Bell says she regularly experiences abusive comments while out running – especially now the nights have drawn in It is 7pm and after a busy day that means one thing: time for my evening run. I put on the hi-vis, turn on my head torch and set my smartwatch. But before I head out of the door, I have a very important task – a message to my husband. I tell him the exact route I’ll be running and the time I’m likely to be home. It should not have to be part of a woman’s routine, but this is the grim reality – especially at this time of year. Verbal ******, wolf whistles, beeps from cars and inappropriate comments. As a female runner, it almost feels normal. I have spoken to many who say they regularly experience ******, especially when the nights draw in. One of my most daunting experiences was when I was followed by a group of men in a car. One of them wound the window down and shouted. The car then followed me. I’m just glad it happened close to where I live, as all I wanted to do was get home. Jeannine Ursell is doing more group running because she feels uneasy about going out alone On other occasions, people have run alongside me to try to intimidate me. They would not do that to my male running friends, or if I was in a group. Jeannine Ursell, from North Ferriby, East Yorkshire, says she gets beeped at and shouted at by people in cars and vans. “They’re usually commenting on my appearance, my looks or my body and it can make me feel really intimidated. “When it gets darker, around dusk, is probably the worst time. I go out running because it gives me head space, but this gets in the way. “I’ve got friends who won’t go out running and have taken to the treadmill in the gym, which I think is quite sad. “I’m doing more group running because I wouldn’t particularly want to go out on my own.” Gemma Stephenson, also from East Yorkshire, fits in her runs around her full-time job and young children, which means going out early in the morning or after work. “It is dark and I live in a village where it is quite rural, so I do find it a lot more uneasy when I go running in the dark,” she says. Gemma Stephenson always lets her husband know her route Thanks to a smartwatch, her husband can track her, but it means she has to plan her routes in advance. “I always carry my phone in case of an emergency, and I have run early in the morning holding a torch. “It can be used as a light, but also as a means of protecting myself if I need to.” Melissa Hawkes, from Lincoln, has joined a new local running group, Just Run Community, in order to run with others and feel more safe. I joined her on a run in North Hykeham, to the south of the city. “There’s a good running group here and having that community and other people to run alongside is great,” she tells me. “It helps us to stay together, feel safe. People have shouted at me, people have commented on my running, I get comments about the clothes that I’m wearing, parts of your body that they shouldn’t be saying anything about. “It does make me think about the routes that I choose and whether I am safe.” Melissa Hawkes uses a tracking app so family and friends know where she is All three runners say those aiming comments at women should think about the way it makes them feel. “It’s not something that is going to change overnight, I think it’s something culturally we have to change,” Melissa says. “We have got to teach those around us that it is not appropriate to say these things to people who are just trying to better themselves and doing something that they enjoy.” Figures published by This Girl Can, a campaign set up by Sport England to support women to be active, show nearly three quarters (72%) change their outdoor activity routines during the winter months. Earlier this year, the University of Manchester found just over two thirds of women (68%) had experienced ****** while running, but very few incidents had been reported to the police. What the police say Lincolnshire Police and Humberside Police both say tackling harassment and improving women’s safety is a “priority”. A spokesperson for the Humberside force told the BBC: “Unsolicited and unwanted comments, gestures, wolf-whistling or ‘catcalling’ can cause distress and offence to victims and we would encourage anyone affected to report it. “We are working closely with local running groups to understand the concerns… and to offer them appropriate support.” A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said women and ****** should be able to “feel safe and be safe”, “free of ***** and harassment”. “We continue to take opportunities to highlight the issue with, for example, videos created in partnership with Lincoln College and a behavioural change campaign targeting male behaviour.” The force said it encouraged runners to use the StreetSafe website and app to highlight areas where they felt unsafe. “The information we collate allows us to work with partners to make improvements,” the spokesperson added. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Source link #Catcalls #women #***** #running #dark Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Injured Healy out of WBBL, in race to face India Injured Healy out of WBBL, in race to face India Alyssa Healy is racing the clock to play in Australia’s looming ODIs against India after being ruled out of the remainder of the WBBL with a knee injury. The Sydney Sixers on Saturday said Australia’s captain would not play for them again this tournament, after picking up an injury in her left knee. Australia’s three-match ODI series starts four days after the WBBL final, leaving Healy in significant doubt for international duties. Healy did not keep in the Sixers’ last-start loss against Brisbane because of body management, and had entered the tournament with a foot injury that ended her T20 World Cup early. Australia host India in three one-day internationals, before travelling to New Zealand over Christmas for three more 50-over matches. It’s understood Healy will be assessed in the next fortnight ahead of those two series, with a squad to be announced next weekend. The injury is not believed to be serious enough to have her in any current doubt for the multi-format Ashes, which begin with an ODI at North Sydney on January 12. Healy had warned on her return from her foot injury that she may need to be managed through the summer. “There are higher powers sitting above that are quite vocal in what can and can’t happen, which I completely understand,” Healy said earlier this month. “Being skipper as well is a fairly big role for me. I want to be available for as much of the summer as I can. “I’ve hardly played a game for the Sixers for the past two seasons, and it’s a place I really enjoy playing cricket. “I want to be available for every game that I possibly can, but the reality is that might not be the case. “It’s going to be managing the pain, function and what I can and can’t do (all summer). How I pull up from games is going to be really important as well.” Healy’s injury comes as a serious ***** to the Sixers, who face the prospect of needing to win their last three matches to make the WBBL finals. If Healy does miss international matches, Tahlia McGrath would be expected to deputise as captain again after doing so in the World Cup. Source link #Injured #Healy #WBBL #race #face #India Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]