Blood moon, shmlood moon — NASA discovered liquid water on Mars!
A group of NASA scientists have published a paper that finally confirms what researchers and space geeks have been positing for years: flowing water exists on Mars. Georgia Tech scientist Lujendra Ojha and his team studied data obtained by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and discovered that salt on Mars’ surface has the specific chemical makeup known to be left by liquid water. While this is hardly a confirmation that life exists outside of Earth, it’s still an exhilarating find that suggests space may be more hospitable than previously thought. (Wired)
A group of NASA scientists have published a paper that finally confirms what researchers and space geeks have been positing for years: flowing water exists on Mars. Georgia Tech scientist Lujendra Ojha and his team studied data obtained by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and discovered that salt on Mars’ surface has the specific chemical makeup known to be left by liquid water. While this is hardly a confirmation that life exists outside of Earth, it’s still an exhilarating find that suggests space may be more hospitable than previously thought. (Wired)
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The white-washed Stonewall movie tanked at the box office; the lesson here is if you want to make a historical drama, perhaps pay attention to history.
For months, activists and queer community leaders called for audiences to #BoycottStonewall and it seems that most filmgoers did just that, as Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall raked in a pitiful $112,414 during its opening weekend. The film purports to be a retelling of the historic 1969 riots at New York City’s Stonewall Inn, which is credited for sparking the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The effort has been plagued by criticism and controversy since it was cast with a white cis man as his lead. Emmerich completely minimized, if not fully erased, the role trans women of color like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson played in the struggle (Flavorwire)
For months, activists and queer community leaders called for audiences to #BoycottStonewall and it seems that most filmgoers did just that, as Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall raked in a pitiful $112,414 during its opening weekend. The film purports to be a retelling of the historic 1969 riots at New York City’s Stonewall Inn, which is credited for sparking the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The effort has been plagued by criticism and controversy since it was cast with a white cis man as his lead. Emmerich completely minimized, if not fully erased, the role trans women of color like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson played in the struggle (Flavorwire)
A London cereal cafe was targeted and damaged by anti-gentrification protestors.
Located in London’s East End near one of the city’s poorest boroughs, the Cereal Killer Cafe sells £5 (about $8) bowls of cereal alongside portraits of killers like Hannibal Lecter made out of the breakfast food. The shop, which has previously fielded criticisms of price-gouging, was vandalized with paint and cereal by protestors during an anti-gentrification demonstration. Allegedly organized by the anarchist group Class War, the protest was meant to highlight the escalating inequality in east London and the disappearance of affordable housing. (The Guardian)
Located in London’s East End near one of the city’s poorest boroughs, the Cereal Killer Cafe sells £5 (about $8) bowls of cereal alongside portraits of killers like Hannibal Lecter made out of the breakfast food. The shop, which has previously fielded criticisms of price-gouging, was vandalized with paint and cereal by protestors during an anti-gentrification demonstration. Allegedly organized by the anarchist group Class War, the protest was meant to highlight the escalating inequality in east London and the disappearance of affordable housing. (The Guardian)
Barbie’s new one-of-a-kind Zendaya doll is absolute perfection, with dreadlocks.
Who knew that some ugly comments from a Fashion Police host would result in something as kick-ass and vital as a Black Barbie doll with dreadlocks? Zendaya quickly became the world’s favorite talented teen after she turned Giuliana Rancic’s racist comments about her Oscars look into a platform to discuss Western beauty standards and oppression. Mattel executives took note of Zendaya’s powerful message and turned the actress/singer’s red carpet look into a Barbie doll, complete with locks and a mini Vivienne Westwood gown. “Thank you @barbie for this honor and for allowing me to be apart of your diversification and expansion of the definition of beauty,” Zendaya tweeted. (USA Today)
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The great Chipotle carnitas shortage of 2015 is almost over. It was a trying time in our history.
Our long national nightmare is almost over: Chipotle has announced that its pork supplies are back up to normal operating numbers, meaning that carnitas will soon be back in our stomachs. In fact, carnitas has already returned to 90 percent of the chain’s restaurants, but please, keep celebrations minimal — the shortage continues to affect cities in South Carolina, Georgia, New York and Florida. Chipotle curtailed carnitas sales after discovering that one of its pork suppliers had violated its animal welfare standards, which prohibit the use of antibiotics and gestation crates. (Reuters)
Our long national nightmare is almost over: Chipotle has announced that its pork supplies are back up to normal operating numbers, meaning that carnitas will soon be back in our stomachs. In fact, carnitas has already returned to 90 percent of the chain’s restaurants, but please, keep celebrations minimal — the shortage continues to affect cities in South Carolina, Georgia, New York and Florida. Chipotle curtailed carnitas sales after discovering that one of its pork suppliers had violated its animal welfare standards, which prohibit the use of antibiotics and gestation crates. (Reuters)
Justin Bieber laid out some new rules for fans who want to take a photo with him.
Justin Bieber is letting his fans know the cold hard truth: the crazier you act, the less likely the Biebs is to take a photo with you. During a multi-part Snapchat saga, the singer explained that screaming for his attention and then screaming louder when he doesn’t respond isn’t productive; “I want to enjoy the moment just as you’re enjoying the moment, but I can’t enjoy it if I’m not feeling like there’s any respect given to me at that moment,” Bieber murmured while hanging out in the backseat of some fancy car. So the next time you see Justin Bieber in public, remember: he wants to enjoy the moment so be chill. Can’t we all just be chill for Justin Bieber? (Huffington Post)
An estimated $10,000 worth of marijuana fell from the sky in Arizona, which sounds like something you told your mom in high school after she found your stash, but this time it’s true.
Here’s a fun hypothetical to pose the next time you’re trying to gauge someone’s morals (think of it as an update on the ol’ “find a wallet full of money” question): what would you do if a 26-pound bundle of weed fell from the sky and landed on your front lawn with no explanation? That was one Arizona couple’s reality after they discovered that a package of marijuana valued at $10,000 had destroyed their doghouse and carport. Maya and Bill Donnelly did right thing (or the wrong thing) and called the cops, who believe smugglers accidentally dropped the load earlier than planned. (Boing Boing)
Bleachers released an all-female reimagining of its debut album, Strange Desire, mending all the damage done by Ryan Adams’s version of 1989.
Lena Dunham’s beau is no slouch when it comes to serving as a feminist ally: besides unabashedly supporting the efforts of his ladylove, Jack Antonoff is using his passion project Bleachers to showcase female voices — literally. The indie pop band is releasing a companion piece to its debut album that reworks each song to feature a female artist. Called Terrible Thrills Vol. 2, the cover album reads like a who’s who of top women artists, including guest vocalists like Sia, Tinashe, Charli XCX, and Carly Rae Jepsen. (Refinery29)