Technology Slice Blog

Witchcraft Legal in Romania - Romania has changed its labor laws to officially recognize witchcraft as a profession, prompting one self-described witch to threaten retaliation. The move, which went into effect Saturday, is part of the government's drive to crack down on widespread tax evasion in a country that is in recession. In addition to witches, astrologists, embalmers, valets and driving instructors are now considered by labor law to be working real jobs, making it harder for them to avoid income tax. For months the measure had been debated, protested by witches and mocked by the media. On Saturday, a witch called Bratara told Realitate.net, the website of a top TV station, that she plans to cast a spell using black pepper and yeast to create discord in the government. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/01/AR2011010101580.html Witchcraft Legal in Romania

Hugh Hefner Engagement Ring $90,000 - Hugh Hefner gave fiancée Crystal Harris, 24, an amazing $90,000 engagement ring. It is a ring that nearly anybody would love to get. The sparkler has major bling factor for the Playboy founder's wife to be. On Thursday Harris tweeted pictures of the sizeable ring. She said on Twitter, "For those of you who have been asking to see my ring here it is. My engagement ring from my love." How sweet the tweet sounds. Of course, you do have to wonder what the 24-year-old 2009 Playmate of the month sees in somebody as old as Hugh Hefner. As for Hef, the marriage to Harris will be his third. Perhaps this time, the third time will be the charm. This one may just be ‘til death do us part – especially given Hefner’s age. Hugh Hefner Engagement Ring $90,000 The engagement ring that Hugh Hefner gave Harris is a 3 1/2 carat brilliant-cut diamond. The massive stone is set in platinum with the ever fashionable micro pave diamonds on the band. Th...

Lindsay Lohan First Tweet of 2011 - Lindsay Lohan has claimed that she feels ready to move on from the personal and legal troubles that plagued her in 2010. The troubled actress posted a message to her fans on Twitter, including an inspiring quote, in what is her first tweet in over two weeks. "Today is the first day of the rest of my life," she wrote. "The future depends on what we do in the present" - Mahatma Gandhi...One step at a time..." Lohan is due to be released from drug and alcohol addiction clinic the Betty Ford Clinic tomorrow, where she has spent the past few months. The former child star currently has no announced film projects scheduled for 2011. Source: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a295610/lohan-ready-to-begin-new-life-in-2011.html Lindsay Lohan First Tweet of 2011

Kate Moss Album - After conquering the ramp, supermodel Kate Moss is reportedly planning to venture into the world of music by recording her own album. She is said to be recording an album with boyfriend The Kills guitarist Jamie Hince, reports okmagazine.com. Moss has previously written songs for her ex-boyfriend Pete Doherty's band Babyshambles and even sang with him once. Source: http://www.sify.com/movies/kate-moss-recording-music-album-news-hollywood-lbbiuccchga.html Kate Moss Album

Cheryl Eckard 60 Minutes - Of all the things that you trust every day, you want to believe your prescription medicine is safe and effective. The pharmaceutical industry says that it follows the highest standards for quality. But in November, we found out just how much could go wrong at one of the world's largest drug makers. A subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline pleaded guilty to distributing adulterated drugs. There was reason to believe that some of the medications were contaminated with bacteria, others were mislabeled, and some were too strong or not strong enough. It's likely Glaxo would have gotten away with it had it not been for a company insider: a tip from Cheryl Eckard set off a major federal investigation. She's never told the public what she saw inside Glaxo, but now she has. Her story opens a rare window on how one company traded its good name for bad medicine. Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/29/60minutes/main7195247.shtml Cheryl Eckard 60 Mi...

Temuco Chile Earthquake - A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Chile on Sunday, disrupting power lines and telecommunications service. The earthquake caused no injures but prompted tens of thousands of people to flee coastal areas out of fear of a subsequent tsunami, like the one that swept away entire villages last February. The earthquake struck 45 miles northwest of Temuco at a depth of 10 miles, AFP reported. It struck Biobio, Maule and O'Higgins, a region affected by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that devastated Chile in February. Source: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/chile/110102/temuco-chile-earthquake Temuco Chile Earthquake

Bill Clinton Peta Person of the Year - He was the president who famously couldn't jog past McDonald's without grabbing a snack, which makes Bill Clinton a most unlikely candidate for vegan hero. But that is exactly what swapping burgers for beans has done for the former fast-food fanatic, according to a leading animal rights campaign group. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has bestowed its Person of the Year award on Mr Clinton, in recognition of his rebirth as a paid-up member of the mung bean-munching fraternity. Mr Clinton opted for the ultimate in new year cleanses – a largely vegan diet – to purge his body after realising it had taken one burger battering too many. This is, after all, a man who ordered a double hamburger (and fries) to fuel up for an anti-obesity speech. Bill Clinton Peta Person of the Year Peta's decision is not without controversy: Mr Clinton has admitted eating the odd piece of fish. But the organisation said it was "pl...

Gwyneth Paltrow Robert Downey Jr - In preparing for her 'Country Strong' role as a recovering alcoholic attempting a show-business comeback, Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow says she had so much difficulty understanding the mentality of substance abusers, she turned to her friend and 'Iron Man' co-star Robert Downey Jr. to help her get a handle on her character. And it sounds like his expertise was her secret weapon in mastering the role. Paltrow, 38, explained to Reuters, "I just couldn't understand how you could be so drunk that you could wreck people's lives and then wake up the next day and pretend everything was fine.... I struggled with that." Gwyneth Paltrow Robert Downey Jr So she consulted her now-sober A-list friend, whose own stellar show-business comeback followed years of drug abuse and prison time. "I asked Robert, 'How does this work?' He was really articulate about addiction and the psychology behind it. He really help...

Kim Kardashian Song Debut Tao - Kim Kardashian treated NYE revelers at exclusive Vegas nightclub Tao to a performance of her upcoming debut single. The reality TV star and member of the infamous Kardashian clan revealed her pop star ambitions to a packed nightclub in Las Vegas on the weekend. The footage, which admittedly isn't the best quality, was recorded by one of the crowd and posted on YouTube. Kim Kardashian Song Debut Tao In the video, Kardashian introduces the track by saying, "Hi guys, I didn't mean to, but I did this song with The-Dream and it's really fun. I hope you guys like it! So everybody have a drink and then dance to my new single!" The track, written by accomplished songwriter The-Dream, is reportedly titled Turn It Up and features a bass-heavy beat suited to the dance floor. The performance follows Kardashian releasing teasers from the accompanying music video on Twitter. Source: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/kim-ka...

More than 1,000 Dead Birds Fall from Sky in Ark. - Wildlife officials are trying to determine what caused more than 1,000 blackbirds to die and fall from the sky over an Arkansas town. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said Saturday that it began receiving reports about the dead birds about 11:30 p.m. the previous night. The birds fell over a 1-mile area of Beebe, and an aerial survey indicated that no other dead birds were found outside of that area. More than 1,000 Dead Birds Fall from Sky in Ark. Commission ornithologist Karen Rowe said the birds showed physical trauma, and she speculated that "the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail." The commission said that New Year's Eve revelers shooting off fireworks in the area could have startled the birds from their roost and caused them to die from stress. Robby King, a wildlife officer for the agency, collected about 65 dead birds, which will be sent for testing to the state Livestock ...

Australia Floods Biblical Proportions - A woman drowned after trying to cross a flooded causeway in Australia, becoming the first victim of relentless flooding that one official has described as reaching “biblical proportions,” the police said Sunday. Days of pounding rain last week left much of northeastern Australia swamped by muddy water, with flooding affecting about 200,000 people in an area larger than France and Germany combined. The rain has stopped, but rivers are still rising and overflowing into low-lying communities as the water moves toward the ocean. Australia Floods Biblical Proportions On Saturday night, two cars trying to cross a flooded causeway were swept into a river in Burketown, in western Queensland State, the police said. A 41-year-old woman traveling in the second car disappeared, and her body was recovered Sunday about 1.2 miles away, Queensland police officers said. About 1,000 people were living in evacuation centers across the state, and it may be ...

iPhone Alarm not Working Fix - Apple says a glitch on its iPhone 4 that stopped its built-in alarm clock from going off will be fixed. Apple didn't say what caused the problem that let many people oversleep on the first two days of the New Year, but said the alarm will work properly on Monday, the BBC reported. Bloggers and tweeters complained the glitch made them late for work and put them at risk for missing planes and trains. "We're aware of an issue related to non-repeating alarms set for January 1 or 2," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison said. "Customers can set recurring alarms for those dates and all alarms will work properly beginning January 3." iPhone Alarm not Working Fix The anomaly appears to affect single alarm settings on the iPhone 4 and earlier models with software updates, the BBC said. Apple sold more than 1.7 million iPhone 4's by June 2010, making it the company's most successful product launch. In November, Europ...

Wedding Ring Shopping Tips - It has long been tradition for the sparkling-eyed boyfriend to "surprise" his girlfriend with a wedding proposal and an engagement ring. The whole scenario is indeed romantic and is what dreams and movies are made of, but if you're a girl that is serious about your fashion, you may prefer to be involved in picking your engagement and wedding rings to suit your taste. Why leave such a crucial part of your style for a guy to do alone? Think about it, you will be wearing these rings for a lifetime! With this in mind, you may want to "window shop" together online once the relationship gets serious in order to let him know exactly what you like. The ever classic solitaires are the most popular style of engagement rings, but for many couples today, they are a bit too common. The engagement ring symbolizes the special love you share with each other so you may want to throw tradition out the window a get a ring that is unique such as a vi...

Check your Credit History - Do you have questions about improving your credit? Here are some frequently asked questions: • Is my credit forever ruined by a bankruptcy or foreclosure? • A bankruptcy or civil judgment will stay on your credit report for 10 years, but it is a weighted scale, the older it gets, the less impact it has on your credit. The irony of a bankruptcy is that while it is bad for your credit score, it actually improves your debt to income ratio, which is an important factor for obtaining loans. After filing bankruptcy, you have only the debt you choose to keep, and are in a better financial position to take on new debt, as there is no longer the older debt hanging over your head. Check your Credit History • What are some of the things I can do to improve my credit after bankruptcy or a foreclosure? • Pay all bills on time. Note that payments less than 30 days late are not generally reported to the credit bureau. • Try to keep your credit card balances ...

Brendan Fevola Goes to Rehab - Brendan Fevola checked into a rehabilitation clinic hours after being released from a police cell for the boozy New Year's Eve antics that could end his AFL career. The Herald Sun understands Fevola has agreed to an extended stay at a clinic as the ailing Brisbane Lions hold crisis talks about his future. Their decision is expected tomorrow. Brendan Fevola Goes to Rehab It has also emerged the Lions were already considering getting Fevola professional help for his personal problems, which include binge drinking and gambling. He is also suffering depression over the separation from wife Alex and his children, who returned to Melbourne this year. Saturday morning's scandal comes only a week after he spent Christmas with Alex and their three children before returning to Brisbane alone. Today the Lions will resume training for the 2011 season without him, and coach Michael Voss will make the club's first comments since he was charge...

Word Warriors Vanquish 'Viral' Eradicate 'Epic' - It's official: Viral went viral, and now it's been virtually vaporized. Michigan's Lake Superior State University features the term linked to popular online video clips in its annual List of Words to Be Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness. The 2011 list was released Friday. Nominators from across North America did more than vanquish "viral." They also repudiated Sarah Palin's "refudiate," flunked "fail" and weren't at all wowed by "wow factor." In all, 14 words or phrases made the cut to be, well, cut from conversation. Word Warriors Vanquish 'Viral' Eradicate 'Epic' The call to banish viral was vociferous, garnering more nominations than any other. "This linguistic disease of a term must be quarantined," Kuahmel Allah of Los Angeles wrote in his submission. "If one more th...

Son of Nick Van Exel - The 20-year-old is charged in shooting death of a close friend. Nicky Van Exel, son of former NBA player and current coaching staff member for the Atlanta Hawks Nick Van Exel, is charged with capital murder in the death of Bradley Bassey Eyo, according to CNN. Eyo’s body was discovered on Sunday, it was dumped near Lake Ray Hubbard with an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body. The shooting is believed to have occurred in the Dallas suburb Garland where both live. Son of Nick Van Exel According to Eyo’s father Van Exel told police that the shooting was accidental and he dumped the body in a state of panic and shock. Van Exel and his lawyer said the shooting was the result of horseplay with a shotgun they did not believe was loaded. Police said they considered the case closely before determining it a capital offense; the deciding factors were the dumping of the body and missing property. The missing property consisted of a cell phone and shoes. ...

Sebastian Bach Divorce - Sebastian Bach announced he and his wife of 18 years will divorce in the new year. PHOTOS: See what other celebs called it quits The Skid Row frontman, 42, and his wife, Maria Bierk, have been separated since April. The couple share three children. "We have tried to work things out for the sake of our family, but it has become apparent that our differences at this point are irreconcilable," Bach told TMZ. "In 2011, we go our separate ways." Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/healthylifestyle/news/sebastian-bach-and-his-wife-to-divorce-201111 Sebastian Bach Divorce

Kim Kardashian Bo Derek Braids - Kim Kardashian is working on a music video and the super sexy star posted a couple of photos to twitter of her video vixen looks. Kardashian has cornrow braids in one and she tweeted: “Rockin’ my Bo Derek braids” in reference to the style Derek made famous in the movie 10. The second shot Kim K. set up is a bit Rihanna-esque with the mirrored shades and bangs. Kardashian is working with Kanye West and Hype Williams for the video shoot so it should be a great vid. Source: http://backseatcuddler.com/2010/12/31/kim-kardashian-rockin-my-bo-derek-braids/ Kim Kardashian Bo Derek Braids

Chinese Students Eat Roundworm Eggs - Stressing about finding a job after graduating from college is common all around the world. Resumes are prepped, interview clothes are purchased, and, if you’re young women in the Chinese city of Xiamen, the regular consumption of roundworm eggs is considered. While a good education is important, so too is appearance. College girls in Xiamen have taken to drastic measures to ensure they stand out from the pack in their job hunt, employing rather odd, and at times rather dangerous, methods of losing weight. One such way is the consumption of roundworm eggs. Chinese Students Eat Roundworm Eggs According to Xiaomei, a student set to graduate soon, many students will eat the eggs, which are said to hatch in the stomach and allow the consumer to lose weight without the aid of diet and exercise. While this might be considered possible, it certainly isn’t healthy. While consuming roundworm eggs isn’t ideal, there are other ways these clearly delu...

Mega Millions Jackpot $290 Million - The Mega Millions jackpot has climbed to $290 million for Tuesday’s drawing. If there is a single winner in Tuesday night’s drawing, it will be the largest lottery payout to one person in U.S. history. A winner choosing the cash option would take home $182 million. Most large lottery prizes are split up among several winners. The largest jackpot ever was a $390 million prize in March 2007 that was split between two ticket holders. The largest Powerball jackpot — $365 million — was divided among eight Nebraska meat packers in 2006. In 2008, Robert and Tonya Harris of Portal, Ga., claimed a $275 million Mega Millions jackpot and took home $167 million. Source: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2011/01/02/news/aa2_megamillions010211.txt?viewmode=fullstory Mega Millions Jackpot $290 Million

Heart-Healthy Foods - Nothing matters more than taking good care of your heart. Getting regular exercise, not smoking, and controlling stress are just a few things health experts recommend, along with eating a variety of nutritious, heart-healthy foods that make up a healthy diet. Where to start? Add these five "super-foods" to boost nutritional goodness while eating your way to a healthier heart. Heart-Healthy Foods Blueberries top the list as one of the most powerful disease-fighting foods. That's because they contain anthocyanins, the antioxidant responsible for their dark blue color. These delicious jewels are packed with fiber, vitamin C, and are available all year long. Boost heart health by adding them into your diet regularly. Here's how: 1. Top your whole-grain cereal with fresh or frozen blueberries to add delicious flavor, a dose of fiber, and heart-healthy antioxidants. 2. Power up pancakes, waffles, or muffins with fresh, frozen, or dried bluebe...

Homes Losing Value Fastest - Homeowners with Citigroup loans in foreclosure-rich Virginia Beach, Va., and Orlando, Fla., are in luck. The mortgage giant announced today that it will impose a moratorium on most foreclosures and modify $20 billion in mortgages to enable homeowners who are not behind on their loans, but in danger of falling behind, to avoid foreclosure. Those that don't fall under the plan? They're in hot water. Well, underwater. Virginia Beach homeowners who bought homes this year possess a paltry 5.2% of home equity, and 34.5% owe more on their property than it's worth, according to Zillow.com, a real estate research group. That's the worst rate in the country. Even in Orlando and Miami, two cities hammered by bad loans and home-equity dips, only 30% and 29% of homeowners are underwater, respectively. It's a similar story in El Centro, Calif., Bakersfield, Calif., and Cumberland, Md. What's certain to follow? Foreclosures. "Negative...

Affordable Spa Weekends - Last week, Mobil Travel Guide revealed its 2007 rankings of the top hotel and resort spas in the U.S. and Canada. For the past several years, the company has sent unannounced inspectors to identify and rate top spas using more than 450 criteria, such as the technical skill of each spa's massage therapists. We noticed that Mobil Travel Guide doesn't single out any spa as being a special value. Curious, we sorted through the rankings ourselves to pick out which spas are the most affordable. We started with spas that earned three stars. As a rule, these spas are less expensive than four- and five-star spas. Next, we compared the average online rates for overnight stays at the hotel or resort connected to each spa. Our final step was to draw up a list of the least-expensive spas, along with sample spa packages, which you'll find below. Affordable Spa Weekends Don't get us wrong, though. We are not saying that all three-star spas are identica...

Twitter Death Hoaxes 2010 - Charlie Sheen, Owen Wilson, Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy and Morgan Freeman have all had rumours of their deaths greatly exaggerated over the last week. The false reports began with fake news stories posted on the internet which were then picked up and spread by people using social networking websites. In separate hoaxes several of the stars were said to have died in snowboarding accidents. It was not clear whether the same person or group was behind all of the hoaxes. The false rumour of Charlie Sheen's death reached his ex-wife Denise Richards who issued a statement on the microblogging website Twitter, saying: "The rumour about Charlie Sheen is not true. He is alive and on his way over to see his daughters." Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8234293/Hollywood-stars-in-series-of-internet-death-hoaxes.html Twitter Death Hoaxes 2010