By the time the man arrived at the lung disease clinic in Manchester, England, it was almost too late.

It was April 2014 and the 61-year-old had spent the past seven years finding it harder and harder to breathe.

Once able to run 10 kilometers, he could now barely walk 20 meters.

His lungs were operating at a third their proper capacity.

A petri dish showing four types of fungi suspected to have caused the man’s illness. (UHSM)

Five years earlier, the man had been diagnosed with a serious inflammation of the lungs, known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, or HP.

HP has a variety of other names, each one of which offered a possible solution to the medical mystery: farmer’s lung, hot tub lung, humidifier lung and, perhaps oddest of all, pigeon fancier’s lung.

When doctors tried to pin down the cause of the man’s malady, however, it eluded them.

He didn’t smoke. His home wasn’t hiding any mold.. He didn’t have connective tissue disease, which can cause breathing problems.

The only clue physicians at the University Hospital of South Manchester could see was that the man’s symptoms had rapidly improved when he moved to Australia for three months, only for his breathing to deteriorate once again as soon as he returned to the United Kingdom.

In September 2014, five months after first arriving at the clinic, the man returned — in worse shape than ever.

He was breathing rapidly but suffering from hypoxia, or a lack of oxygen in his blood. When doctors listened to his lungs, they heard crackling like an old vinyl record.

An X-ray suggested pneumonia, a blood clot in the lungs or an exacerbation of the still mysterious HP. A CT scan ruled out a clot but showed that the lung scarring that had started seven years earlier had gotten worse.

Doctors gave him a cocktail of drugs to treat what they thought was bacterial pneumonia. When those didn’t work, they added Posaconazole therapy, used to treat pneumonia caused by fungi.

Despite their efforts, the man died on Oct. 10, 2014.

An autopsy didn’t explain much. It merely showed that his lungs were badly scarred, which was attributed to the years of inexplicable HP. The medical examiner chalked the cause of death up to "acute exacerbation of ILD," or interstitial lung disease, a An autopsy didn’t explain much. It merely showed that his lungs were badly scarred, which was attributed to the years of inexplicable HP. The medical examiner chalked the cause of death up to "acute exacerbation of ILD," or interstitial lung disease, a broad category

Now, however, nearly two years after the man’s death, doctors say they have solved the medical mystery.

In In a report published Monday in the medical journal Thorax , a team of five UHSM researchers coined a new term for the man’s condition.

According to the paper, when doctors initially tried diagnosing the man’s illness, they overlooked his daily hobby: playing the bagpipes.

Tests conducted on the man’s bagpipes found a slew of fungi and yeast living inside the musical instrument.

Inside the air bag was a mixture of Paecilomyces variotti , Fusarium oxysporum, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, and Penicillium species. In a petri dish, they formed a psychedelic swirl of green, orange and red mold.

There was pink yeast on the instrument’s mouthpiece as well as fungi on the neck, chanter, chanter reed, chanter reed protector, bass drome and tenor drome, researchers found. Even the bagpipe carrying case had mold inside.

The moist, airtight bagpipes made an ideal home for the spores.

Unknown to the piper, who was not named in the study, every time he played his instrument, he was inhaling a mixture of mold that caused his illness.

His brief recovery in Australia had coincided with him leaving his bagpipes home in the U.K.

"It sounds like a Monty Python skit or an Agatha Christie story gone wrong," William Schaffner, a professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, told "It sounds like a Monty Python skit or an Agatha Christie story gone wrong," William Schaffner, a professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, told USA Today

This mystery, however, had been all too real.

"If that had been identified earlier, and he had stopped playing the bagpipes or cleaned them regularly, he may well have just gotten better," Jenny King, the study’s lead author, told the newspaper.

The study noted similar illnesses befalling saxophone and trombone players, although they were fortunate enough for their instruments to be identified as the cause before it was too late.

According to the Guardian, however, it wasn’t the first time that bagpipes have been identified as a health hazard.

In 2013, professional piper John Shone fell seriously ill with similar symptoms of breathlessness and weakness. Doctors discovered the fungus lurking inside his instrument just in time.

"It was very much life-threatening," Shone "It was very much life-threatening," Shone told the Guardian . "I was near death."

Part of the problem may stem from the use of modern materials in bagpipes, as old-fashioned leather pipes were often used along with a "seasoning" bag that had antiseptic properties, Shone said. Although airtight, leather bagpipes are also porous enough to let moisture escape, normally preventing mold growth, added Ian Clabburn, chairman of the Bagpipe Society, in an interview with Part of the problem may stem from the use of modern materials in bagpipes, as old-fashioned leather pipes were often used along with a "seasoning" bag that had antiseptic properties, Shone said. Although airtight, leather bagpipes are also porous enough to let moisture escape, normally preventing mold growth, added Ian Clabburn, chairman of the Bagpipe Society, in an interview with the Telegraph

The "bagpipe lung" case hold lessons for both doctors and musicians, according to the study.

"This case highlights the importance of a careful clinical history including hobbies," researchers wrote. "Thorough clinical history exploring occupation, environmental triggers and pastimes is very important in cases of HP."

Wind instrument players, meanwhile, need to regularly clean their instruments..

He withered away for 7 years. Doctors didn’t realize his passion was killing him.

By the time they figured out that his musical hobby was the problem, he was dead.


This map shows why Europeans are so much better at foreign languages than Britans

Research from Eurostat, compiled by Statista, has found that in 2014 nearly 80 per cent of all European children were learning a second language.

The UK has only been committed to compulsory language education in primary school since last year.

Prior to this, most formal language teaching did not begin until secondary school.

While the brain remains febrile and sponge like for most of secondary school, the late start puts students at a disadvantage.

The extent of this can be seen in the map which shows how many pupils in other European countries were schooling their children in languages - the data for the UK was unavailable.

Of these, 17.1 million were learning English as a second language in 2014, followed by 4.9 m learning French.

Data for the UK has not been available since foreign language education became compulsory, but the British Council asserts that between 2002 and 2010 the percentage of primary schools teaching foreign languages rose from 25 to 90 per cent.

However, this is not the share of pupils learning them. Eurostat also compiles data for learned languages - the UK ranks fourth for learning French, fifth for Spanish, 12th for Italian and 16th for German.

A slow pickup over the past 15 years may be the reason why everyone on your holiday seems to know English, and you're still asking for everything in the infinitive.

More: The darkest colour in the world is effectively exclusively owned by this artist - here's why

More: This is how a 19-month-old sees the world

This map shows why Europeans are so much better at foreign languages than Britons

Students from the United Kingdom are behind Europe for learning a new language at primary school - according to data from Eurostat. This European Languages Day, fifteen years after it was set up, and British pupils are just starting to catch up. Languages are easier to learn as our brains are developing, which is why most of us develop our first language as we grow.


LOON, Philippines, Oct 16 - The death toll from an earthquake in the Philippines rose to 144 on Wednesday as rescuers dug through the rubble of collapsed buildings including an old church and a hospital.

Nearly 3 million people were affected by the 7.2 magnitude quake on Tuesday, which caused landslides and widespread damage to infrastructure in the tourist destinations of Bohol island and the nearby Cebu islands.

The number of injured rose towards 300, with at least 23 people missing.

The national disaster agency said at least 134 of the dead were on Bohol island, which took the brunt of the quake. The island is located 630 km (390 miles) south of the capital, Manila.

Officials feared the toll would rise as communications with remote areas were re-established.

"I think this is a growing number," Loon mayor Lloyd Lopez told Philippine radio. "Yesterday, we had a partial communications block-out."

"We have not reached all barangays, many are cut off, the roads are blocked by big boulders," Lopez said, referring to villages.

Mobile phone links from the country's main provider had been restored but a rival provider still had to fix some of its damaged equipment, a state telecommunications official said.

Many of the millions hit by the quake spent the night outdoors, including patients at some hospitals, because of aftershocks. More than 840 aftershocks have been recorded, with one of magnitude 5.1, the volcanology agency said.

"There are so many aftershocks, we are afraid," Elena Manuel, a 64-year-old grandmother, told Reuters after her family and neighbours spent the night in the grounds of a centuries-old church that collapsed in Loon, a town of about 43,000 people.

"We don't have any more food and water because stores are closed, and the bridge ... is damaged. After the quake, water and mud came out of cracks on the ground in our backyard."

Officials said most of 23 damaged bridges in Bohol were impassable and five roads were closed. Seventeen churches suffered irreparable damage to their old coral-stone structures.

"The church here is now only powder," said Benjamin Aggenstein, a 30-year-old German businessman based in Bohol, adding that most residents of Loon did not want to return to their damaged homes and had been staying outdoors.

Ferry and airline services have resumed despite damage to ports and airports in Bohol and Cebu.

The air force was flying 11 tonnes of relief supplies to Bohol, a military spokesman said.

President Benigno Aquino, who made an inspection by air of quake-hit areas, warned of stiff penalties for profiteers exploiting the disaster.

The government has declared a state of calamity in both Bohol and Cebu, triggering a freeze on prices there.

Some visitors to Bohol have cancelled reservations, but the damage to tourism was likely to be short-lived, John Patrick Chan, corporate general manager of the Bellevue Hotel group, said in a television interview.

"We expect things to go back to normal soon. We're lucky the earthquake hasn't damaged much, much more," Chan said.

The country's tourism office said it had seen about 1,000 cancellations to Bohol and Cebu by tourists from South Korea.

The last time a quake of similar magnitude hit Bohol was in 1602, said Trixie Angeles, a consultant at the National Commission on Culture and the Arts. (Additional reporting by Rosemarie Francisco in MANILA; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Robert Birsel)

Philippines Earthquake 2013: Death Toll Rises To 144, More People Missing

By Erik  De Castro                LOON, Philippines, Oct 16 - The death toll from an  earthquake in the Philippines rose to 144 on...

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This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Eat Too Much Salt

While salt is an important factor in many of your body’s functions, and, through chemistry, makes your food taste better, it’s common knowledge that too much salt in your diet can lead to a host of problems. Many know this to be true, but don’t know exactly what problems salt leads to.

So in an effort to demonstrate just how bad salt-packed foods can be for our bodies, let’s take a look at what salt does to your body when consumed in excess of the recommended daily allowance.

1. First of all, salt makes your body hold more water than it normally would. That’s why you’ll often find your fingers bloated and swollen after a particularly salty meal. This is because our kidneys likes to keep the ratio of certain electrolytes, like salt, in proportion to the amount of water we have in our bodies. If that ratio skews salt-heavy, then our body compensates by carrying more water to keep things proportionate.

The swelling mentioned above can become semi-permanent (called edema), and more blood will flow through your body, which can cause your circulatory system to stiffen, putting you at higher risk for high blood pressure and hypertension.

2. Because you’re holding processing more water than normal, you tend to urinate more, which can not only make you dehydrated if not replaced, but can also serve to flush out calcium, which your body relies on for skeletal strength. As calcium levels fall, you can run a higher risk of osteoporosis or even tooth decay.

3. Increased salt consumption can also, for reasons that still aren’t entirely clear to scientists, cause irritation in the stomach, resulting in ulcers, and raising the risk of stomach cancer. Sodium can have a powerfully conducive effect with many chemical reactions, and with a stomach full of acid and food, a disruption in the equilibrium can have serious effects.

The recommended daily allowance of salt is 2,300 milligrams per day, but many diets far exceed that, especially those that are high in processed or fast food. This week, New York City enacts a law that requires restaurants to denote any single dish that exceeds that threshold.

So while you may need to reduce the amount of salt that you consume, the first thing you need to do is to be aware of how much salt you consume, and a little diligence, along with laws like the one that New York City passed, will help you do just that.

Too much salt can have harm the body in several different ways.


You Won’t Believe How Simple This Celebrity Jewelry Hack Is

You’ve already conquered the celebrity choker trend this summer, thanks to inspiration from gals like Gigi Hadid and Shay Mitchell, as well as celebrity hair trends like the slicked-back look everyone had this spring. But did you know there’s an even newer trend that bloggers, models and celebrities alike are all falling for... and that it’s literally the easiest and cheapest look imaginable? Introducing summer’s most versatile and inexpensive accessory: the bandana.

It’s actually super genius — you can pick up a bandana at a craft store for about a dollar, in an array of colors to suit your style, and you can wear it any number of ways. Try it old school a la Rosie the Riveter and use it to tie up your hair, or try it wrapped around your wrist as a bracelet alternative.

But to really get in on the celebrity trend, do like models Romee Strijid, Taylor Hill and Candace Cameron Bure have done and tie one around your neck. You can do it traditionally as Candace has (pretty color combo!), or go a little more out of the box and do it as BFFs Romee and Taylor have by making it more choker-like — check out both their Instas for even more inspiration; these gals love their bandanas! Bonus: You can DIY some jewels across the front to make it stand out even more, making it this summer’s cheapest and chicest accessory.


Scientists may have found humankind’s original addiction

A new study in the journal Cell shows that UV radiation, even in modest amounts, prompts production of the "feel-good" hormone beta-endorphin that numbs mice to pain. When scientists blocked beta-endorphin with the drug Naloxone (used to combat heroin overdoses in hospital emergency rooms), UV-exposed mice experienced withdrawal symptoms: shaking, teeth-chattering and jumpiness.

It's the first time scientists have thoroughly mapped out the pathway in mice from UV exposure, to rising beta-endorphin levels in the blood, to physical dependence on sunlight. The findings add to a field of research that examines extreme tanning as a possible addiction in humans, and could explain why people love to sunbathe -- even though it's clear that UV rays damage skin cells, age skin prematurely and cause skin cancer.

In addition, the findings could pave the way for more research on battling opiate addiction in general, since beta-endorphins are opioids -- our body's own natural version of opiate-like drugs.

"The concept that we would have a pathway in our skin that is organically guiding us to to seek out the most common carcinogen in the world almost seems like a joke," said senior study author Dr. David Fisher, chairman of the dermatology department at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School. "From a scientific perspective, this raises an interesting prospect that perhaps UV-seeking was the original addiction."

While it wasn't the focus of the research, Fisher and his team speculate that vitamin D synthesis is the evolutionary reason human beings seek the sun. Vitamin D is vital to calcium absorption and bone health, and when you're a child, lack of vitamin D can be fatal.

"It's plausible that a behavioral motivation to seek the sun to preserve vitamin D may have produced many years ago, say 100,000 years ago, as an evolutionary advantage," Fisher said. Now, of course, physicians recommend people take vitamin D supplements to guard against deficiencies.

The study started off with exposing shaved mice to UV rays for six weeks. Then, in a series of experiments, Fisher and other researchers measured the rodents' blood levels of beta-endorphins, tested their pain thresholds and injected them with Naloxone.

They found that beta-endorphin levels increased significantly in UV-exposed mice, and that these mice had a much higher pain threshold than non-UV-exposed mice (echoing the numbing effects of opiate drugs like heroin and morphine in humans). Also, injecting UV-exposed mice with the overdose drug Naloxone seemed to induce withdrawal symptoms, suggesting they had become physically dependent on UV rays.

To test if the UV rays would alter the rodents' behavior, Fisher placed the UV-exposed mice in two cages connected by a tunnel, one dark and one brightly lit. Researchers wanted to see if the mice, which are nocturnal, would go against their habits to run to the lit cage if they had been exposed to UV rays.

Researchers induced withdrawal symptoms in the mice using Naloxone while they were trapped in the dark cage. The next day, the UV-exposed mice went against their nocturnal nature and crossed over to the lit cages, because they associated the dark cages with something they wanted to avoid.

The important thing to note in all this is that the mice were exposed to UV rays meant to approximate "midday sun exposure in Florida during the summer for [a] fair-skinned person of average tanning ability" -- in other words, a fairly moderate, normal amount of sun for many North Americans. That was deliberate, because researchers didn't want to use a dose that would lead to sunburn or inflammation. "We wanted it to be as much about UV radiation as possible, and not a second consequence of injury to skin," Fisher said.

Dr. Robin Hornung, a dermatologist and skin cancer expert in Everett, Washington, praised the methodology of Fisher's study, and said the findings echo what she sees in her everyday practice: patients who seem to be addicted to tanning.

Understanding how tanning may be an addiction could help more doctors understand that facts alone may not be enough to get patients to quit sunning, Hornung said. Instead, it could be better for doctors to approach tanners similarly to how they approach smokers: by tailoring the approach based on whether patients are contemplating, preparing, or taking action to change behavior. Push them too hard, and doctors might end up alienating their patients.

"I have known patients who have left their dermatologist for another doctor as they felt criticized about their addiction," Hornung wrote. "It is important to establish good rapport and trust with the patient, not to chastise and alienate, and to ultimately take a more comprehensive approach to changing their behavior."

Dr. Bryon Adinoff, chief of the Division on Addictions at the UT Southwestern Medical Center and Director of Mental Health Research at the VA North Texas Health Care System, said the new findings are "relatively conclusive that UVR [UV radiation] increases endorphin in rodent models." However, he cautioned against using the word "addiction" to describe tanning, as research has yet to demonstrate UV addiction biologically.

"Their approach shows a mechanism about how UVR could become addictive, but it did not demonstrate that it did become addictive," Adinoff told HuffPost. "They demonstrated it induces physiological dependence, but anyone taking opioids for a few days, whether its for chronic pain or acute injury, is going to develop some physiological dependence."

And physiological dependence is not necessarily addiction. Adinoff's past UV studies showed that the rays could activate reward regions in the brain, similar to the way any other pleasurable stimuli would activate those regions. But that's different than being addicted, he explained: "People who go to tanning salons or the beach don't necessarily become addicts, just like how people can drink alcohol and not become addicted."

Scientists May Have Found Humankind's Original Addiction

In studying how ultraviolet radiation affects skin, scientists may have stumbled across humankind's original addiction: sunlight.

A new study

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High school football coach suspends ENTIRE team for a good reason

Utah outlet Deseret News reported that the town of Roosevelt's Union High School football coach Matt Labrum recently suspended all 80 players from the team due to reports of bullying and academic issues.

In a letter to the team from the school’s coaching staff last Friday, players were told that if they participated in community service activities, took character-education classes and participated in extra study hall sessions, they would earn the right to play again in upcoming games.

"The lack of character we are showing off the field is outshining what we are achieving on the field. We want student-athletes that are humble to learn and grow through adversity and success on and off the field," reads the letter, which was obtained by Deseret News.

On Wednesday, he announced that he would allow most players back on the team because they met the outlined requirements, according to CBS News.

Labrum reportedly knew his players were having some academic issues, but decided to take a stand last week after he learned some of his players allegedly were anonymously cyberbullying other students on social media site Ask.fm, according to local outlet KSL-TV.

"It just felt like everything was going in a direction that we didn't want our young men going," Labrum told the outlet. "We felt like we needed to make a stand."

The decision received support from both the school administration and parents.

"As I thought about it, I've got 100 percent confidence in our (coaching) staff," said Union Principal Rick Nielsen to Deseret News. "They are just excellent men. Sometimes we do think we're bigger than the game."

According to KSL-TV, Labrum reportedly met with a student who had been harassed on Ask.fm and asked for his forgiveness on behalf of the team.

The team is scheduled to play its homecoming game Friday.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post misspelled Deseret News.

Utah High School Football Coach Suspends Entire Team Amid Reports Of Cyberbullying

This high school football coach does not tolerate bullying or attitude problems, and he recently showed players in a major way.

Utah outlet Deseret Ne...

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The hit song that lost this band $100,000  via @YahooMusic

New Order’s 1983 synth classic "Blue Monday" is one of the most important and beloved songs of the new wave era. The nine-minute alt-dance opus influenced and inspired everyone from the Eurythmics’ Dave to electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk, and to this day it holds the record as the top-selling 12-inch single in recording history, shifting more than a million units in the band’s native U.K. alone. So how exactly did "Blue Monday" manage to not only make no profit, but also actually lose a whopping $100,000?

The Manchester group’s iconic founding bassist, Peter "Hooky" Hook, explains that it all came down to indie label Factory Records’ decision regarding the single’s very famous — but very expensive — packaging.

"[Graphic designer] Peter [Saville] came to the practice place, and he saw a floppy disk and he loved it," Hook recalls, as he sits with Yahoo Music reflecting on his illustrious discography with both New Order and the band from which New Order sprang, the equally influential Joy Division. "And he felt we should do the sleeve [to look] like this ... Unbeknownst to him, it had to be die-cut three times, which made the sleeve ridiculously expensive — which [New Order bandmate] Stephen Morris thought was hilarious, because you were paying for the bits that you didn’t get, the hole, where the card had gone!

"But yeah, the sleeve unfortunately cost 10p [approximately 20 cents] more than the record could earn, so every time we sold a copy of ‘Blue Monday,’ we were losing 10p," Hook elaborates with a rueful chuckle: "It then went on to be the biggest-selling 12-inch of all time! I remember [Factory Records label head] Tony [Wilson] going to great trouble to cast a brass Factory symbol that said, ‘Well Done, Hooky!’ celebrating a loss of 50,000 pounds ... I suppose it really seals its place in history as a mythical being for that reason."

The financial failure of what should have been New Order’s commercial career breakthrough was just one in a long line of both comedic and tragic errors for the beleaguered band. The most tragic of all, of course, transpired when the band was known as the legendary post-punk outfit Joy Division, fronted by the charismatic but deeply troubled Ian Curtis. Struggling with the dissolution of his young marriage, new fatherhood, an extramarital emotional affair with Belgian journalist Annik Honoré, and most of all, his increasingly uncontrollable epilepsy, 23-year-old Curtis committed suicide on the eve of what was supposed to be Joy Division’s first North American tour — leaving his guilt-ridden bandmates behind to pick up the pieces and always wonder what might have been.

"With the making of [Joy Division’s sophomore album] Closer, Ian’s illness was degenerative, and it was getting worse," says Hook. "The big problem with Ian was .... he was very empathic to other people. He would go out of his way to make sure you felt all right about what he was suffering ... Ian worked very, very hard and was still suffering grand mals right the way through [the recording sessions for Closer]. He managed to hide it from his parents, from the doctors that he was being treated by. The guy wanted success. He wanted to achieve what he felt we deserved. And he hid [his epilepsy]. That was the problem. He would never let you know how poorly he was, so you were in ignorance. Even when you were picking him up off the floor when he smashed his head open on the sink or the toilet, he’d just get up. He’d never stop.

"Suicide of a very close friend or family member always leaves you with the guilt," Hook continues solemnly. "And that’s the beauty of suicide, isn’t it? It’s not them worrying afterwards. It’s everybody else saying who, when, or why, or ‘Did I do enough?’ I’ve had enough of that in my life to realize that people who are left behind are the ones that suffer. But it was a great LP, and I think one of my greatest regrets when we finished with Joy Division and moved on to New Order was that we never got to play Closer ... It was heartbreaking to put it all away and never promote Closer, never promote [the single] ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart,’ put it in a box, put it in the back of the cupboard. And we went off to New Order."

Incredibly, the surviving members of Joy Division immediately decided to reform as New Order. ("I think the great thing about being young is you can carry on, regardless. The great thing about being a musician is people will coddle you and pamper you, and pander to you, so we didn’t have to do much grieving. We just buried our heads and stuck together and ignored it, basically.") Reconvening in their Salford rehearsal space the Monday after Curtis’s inquest, they went right to work on a prophetically titled new song Hook had written over the weekend in tribute to Curtis, "Dreams Never End."

But while New Order — pesky 50,000-pound loss aside — went on to greater success than the short-lived Joy Division had ever known, all was not dreamy in their world. At first, Joy Division fans were still in mourning, and they weren’t quick to accept this new phase in the band’s career. ("We got a lot of letters written in blood, things like that. People phoning you up.. Being a ‘man of the people,’ I put my number in the phone book, and then I had every Joy Division loony phoning me up and being weird on the phone. That taught me a lesson," says Hook.) Then, when New Order went to America to play the tour that had been originally booked for Joy Division, "fans weren’t supportive. They used to spend the whole gig shouting for Joy Division titles," Hook recalls. "I didn’t expect them to be supportive, to be honest ... we actually lost a lot of our confidence ... the audiences were openly hostile. They wanted Joy Division."

To make matters worse, on the very first night of New Order’s maiden U.S. tour, all of their gear was stolen from their van. "And it wasn’t insured!" exclaims Hook. "In the space of two months, we’d managed to lose our lead singer [Curtis], our group [Joy Division], and our equipment ... It really was being at the bottom of a very long ladder. It was a hell of an education, that trip to America."

New Order went on to moderate American success with perennial alternative radio staples like "Bizarre Love Triangle," "True Faith," "Shellshock" (which was included on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack), and a 1988 re-release of "Blue Monday." But over the years, friction between Hook and lead singer Bernard Sumner continued to grow, and in 2007, Hook left the band for good. Fans may hold out hope for a real New Order reunion (the band continues to tour and record sans Hook), but according to the grizzled bassist, who’s been battling his ex-bandmates in court for years, those fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath.

"Literally, [we’re] at that point in the relationship where you hate each other’s stinking guts," he reveals. "It’s a tragic end to a wonderful, wonderful group. You know, I long for Tony Wilson [who passed away in 2007] to appear and bang our heads together. For [late former band manager] Rob Gretton to appear and bang our heads together. For Ian Curtis to appear and bang our heads together! I really do wish with all my heart that we could stop and just respect each other. I think that’s what we should be working on."

Says Hook: "We shouldn’t be working on getting one over each other. We should be sitting down and going, ‘Listen, we’re all different people, we all share this same heritage, and it’s important to all of us. So what we should do is share it, learn to live together, learn to show respect, because we created it together.’ Whether you like it or not, that’s the truth — it’s all of ours. You can’t take it off one person, and you can’t say one person’s wrong and shouldn’t have it. Because we should all have it. And until somebody wises up and says, ‘What are you doing?’ and that respect is shown, and you can’t even contemplate anything else."

While a Hook-less New Order carries on, Hook is still out there on his own. He has penned three memoirs (including his juicy, 724-page latest, Substance: Inside New Order), and he regularly revisits the Joy Division and New Order discographies on tour with his band the Light, showcasing his distinctive bass style (which once even attracted the attention of the Rolling Stones, when they were looking to hire a replacement for Bill Wyman).

"The great bit for me is that in 2011, I got to play Closer [in its entirety for the first time], and it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life," Hooks says happily. "To sit there and have my son, who was exactly the same age I was when I did Closer [22 years old], playing the basslines, and me doing my best to do Ian justice ... the chills down your spine from hearing Closer live was a wonderful, wonderful moment. I do think really Barney [Sumner] and Steve [Morris] missed out on that."

And as for what might have happened if Curtis hadn’t killed himself, Hook confesses that he wonders about that sometimes. "Do I think we’d still be together if Ian had lived? I would hope so," he muses. "You know, one of the things about a song like ‘Blue Monday’ being as popular as it is, even now throughout the world, is that you’d have loved to hear Ian Curtis sing on it.

"But the important thing you realize, as you get older, is that the fact that [Joy Division] didn’t carry on wasn’t the most important thing for Ian. The most important thing was a daughter lost her father. Parents lost a son. A wife lost a husband. A lover lost a lover. That is really the important thing — because let’s face it, there’s lots of groups. There’ll be another along in a minute."

Backspin: Peter Hook on How New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ Lost $100K and What Might Have Been If Joy Division’s Ian Curtis Had Lived [Video]

New Order’s 1983 synth classic "Blue Monday" is one of the most important and beloved songs of the new wave era.  The Manchester group’s iconic founding bassist, Peter "Hooky" Hook, explains that it all came down to indie label Factory Records’ decision regarding the single’s very famous — but very expensive


26 annoying "House Hunters" moments that piss you off every time

We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which House Hunters moments always piss them off. Here are the frustrating results.

1. First of all, when people want A LOT of things on a tiny budget. Let's be reasonable, folks!

2. And how they're always surprised that they have to compromise on things.

3. When the couple wants something so specific it almost doesn't seem real.

4. How no one can ever agree on a style of house, when in the end IT DOESN'T EVEN REALLY MATTER WHILE THEY'RE MAKING THEIR DECISION.

5. How everyone seems to have a vendetta against carpet.

6. When the house is perfect and under budget, but they're bothered by things they could literally fix in two seconds.

7. And when they complain about small things they can fix on their own.

8. Or when someone even mentions paint color. YOU. CAN. CHANGE. THAT!

9. When the couple says they desperately want to live in the city but they despise street noise. Are you fucking kidding me?

10. How every single damn person on the show is obsessed with granite. WHAT'S THE DEAL?!

11. When the house is literally perfect..."but it doesn't have a pool."

12. How every husband on the show seems to need a "man cave." C'mon, dude. Sit in the living room.

13. When they use architectural lingo that they clearly looked up and memorized for the show.

14. When they can't have stairs because they have a toddler. They'll grow up and learn how to navigate stairs! Get a gate!!!

15. All the people who have a $1 million budget. WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THIS MONEY?

16. When the couple can't afford their preferred neighborhood, so the realtor finds them a house in the next town over and IT ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM.

17. When a 15-minute drive to work from their preferred neighborhood is "too long of a commute."

18. Every damn time the realtor shows the master closet and the wife says, "Where are you going to put your clothes, honey?" ENOUGH!

19. When they claim they want a fixer-upper, but it's soon quite clear that painting is all they're willing to take on.

20. Whenever someone tags along for the hunt who isn't even going to live in the house, and they complain about EVERYTHING.

21. When the way the couples talk to each other throughout each episode makes you wonder how — well, IF — they're still together.

23. When they want a new construction home, but refuse to buy if it is near a construction zone.

24. The vegetable chopping or charcuterie scene at the end. IS THIS HOW YOU GUYS CHRISTEN YOUR NEW HOME? WITH A VEGGIE SACRIFICE?

25. Every time someone says they need "space to entertain." How do you know and like enough people to constantly have them over?

26. And finally, how every couple has a two-second conversation and immediately agrees on the house they want. Y'ALL AREN'T GONNA DEBATE?!

26 Annoying "House Hunters" Moments That Piss You Off Every Time


Danny Green has an update on the Tim Duncan retirement watch

As the San Antonio Spurs continue to come to terms with a 67-15 regular season ending in the second round of the playoffs, the biggest question surrounding the team remains whether franchise icon Tim Duncan will retire.

If the 40-year-old Duncan – or 38-year-old Manu Ginobili, for that matter – has made a decision one way or the other, he’s certainly not tipping his hand.

Teammate Danny Green spoke with AM 1300 in Austin on Monday and, via News4SA.com, said he doesn’t know what to expect from the Spurs’ older set:

Duncan has won five titles and Ginobili four with the Spurs, but they are slowing down. Duncan averaged a career-low 8.6 points and 7.3 rebounds this season, and those numbers dropped to 5.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in the playoffs. Ginobili’s regular-season numbers of 9.6 points and 2.5 rebounds were also career lows.

The Spurs reloaded for a title run by adding LaMarcus Aldridge and David West last offseason, but West reportedly is opting out of his contract. The draft is June 23, and free agency begins July 1, so Duncan, Ginobili and the Spurs have a lot of big decisions to make in the coming weeks.


Mother's 'Funny' Photo Of Daughter Isn't So Amusing When Chilling Truth Of It Is Revealed

An American mother took a picture of her daughter stood on a toilet to send to her husband as a bit of a laugh, only to find out she was practising something far more sinister.

Stacey Wehrman Feeley from Traverse City, Michigan, admitted 'breaking down' when her daughter revealed she was just practising the lockdown drill she'd been taught at pre-school in the event of a gun attack.

The post comes in the wake of the terrible Orlando attacks at a gay club last week that left 49 dead and more than 50 more injured.

Stacey took to Facebook to plead with whoever would listen to start thinking about changing gun control laws.

I took this picture because initially I thought it was funny. I was going to send it to my husband to show what our mischievous little three-year-old was up to. However, the moment she told me what she was doing I broke down. She was practising for a lockdown drill at her preschool and what you should do if you are stuck in a bathroom. At that moment all innocence of what I thought my three-year-old possessed was gone.

Politicians - take a look. This is your child, your children, your grandchildren, your great grand children and future generations to come. They will live their lives and grow up in this world based on your decisions. They are barely 3 and they will hide in bathroom stalls standing on top of toilet seats. I do not know what will be harder for them? Trying to remain quiet for an extended amount of time or trying to keep their balance without letting a foot slip below the stall door?

No one thinks gun control will be 100% crime control. But maybe, just maybe, it helps 1% or 2% or 50%? Who knows unless we try? Why on earth are there not universal background checks? Where is a universal registration database? Why are high capacity magazines ever permitted to be sold to anyone other than direct to the military? Is that really necessary to protect yourself or hunt for that matter? What about smart guns, where are they? C'mon techies! The 2nd Amendment is a beast to battle and wiping out the right to bear arms is not on the table. Does anyone really think that will be accomplished? Because it won't. Amended to some extent? Maybe. But how many decades will that take? Where's the evolution of our so called "living document" for this subject matter? A document that originally allowed slavery and prevented women from voting? NRA, are you even trying? Let's talk mental health. Where is the $500 million that the Obama administration put into the budget for approval...did it go through? Is it being implemented or just sitting there? Where is the access to care for those struggling with mental illness? Politicians, I ask you...how can I help?

Banning together, signing petitions, rallying to get your voice heard is good, but is it actually doing anything or just making us feel better about the current situation? We need action. I applaud politicians like Senator Chris Murphy but so many of our elected politicians can't manage to work together (maybe they shouldn't be paid for a job they can't do....just saying) or since they are in bed with all the wrong people, it is up to us if we want change. I want to know what new smart technology is being built for safer guns, advanced security in public places, databases, travelling care for the mentally ill...anything! Entrepreneurs, innovators, are you there? Can I help? Can I help you make a difference? I want to offer support. I cannot give you techie advice, expertise in healthcare, or financial backing, BUT maybe I can point you in the right direction? Maybe I know someone who knows someone who can help? Incubators, investors...if this issue concerns you, do what you do best and help make change. Can I help? Hold funding competitions, provide think tanks for these very things. Hollywood, the PSAs are good, but not good enough. Eventually they disappear and are forgotten.

I am not pretending to have all the answers or even a shred of them, but unless you want your children standing on top of a toilet, we need to do something!

american gun control,Orlando,gun control


Instead Of Paying Someone $1000 To Remove A Tree Stump, He Drills Into The Center To Do THIS. GENIUS

After cutting down a tree, you can be left with an extremely tough to remove tree stump. These things are never appealing, and tell people passing by two things: you do not take care of your yard, and you like to chop down trees, which some people may not be so fond of.

If you have a tree stump in your yard, then don’t worry because there are many ways to get rid of it. You can go to Home Depot and get a chemical tree stump remover, have the pros do it, or you can use this fun DIY way that was introduced by YouTuber Marsh Rat.

This way of removing a tree stump may take longer than the method of removal with a store bought chemical, however it can be a lot of fun because it involves fire!

If you have a stump to remove, go grab your largest drill bit (half an inch), a drill, and some vegetable oil. Drill holes spaced about two inches apart into the stump as far down as you can go, and then grab your oil.

Pour the oil on top of the stump, and let it fill up the holes. Let it sink in, and get inside of the wood. You will want to do this for a few days until the wood has become saturated with vegetable oil. This will aid the burning process later.

Always be checking the holes you drilled to check if there is still oil in them. If the holes are dry, that means it’s time to pour on some more!

Once your tree has been soaking for a while, it is time to finally get rid of that stump. Pour on last coat of oil onto the tree stump, and then get your flammable material. In the video, Marsh Rat says that he was going to use just standard firewood, but instead is going to use charcoals because of how nicely they burn and due to the windy environment at the moment he was filming.

The charcoals are places on top of the stump, and then also covered in vegetable oil. After stuffing some paper into the charcoal bag, he then topped it off with vegetable oil once again, and then set it on fire.

He let the charcoals burn for about a day and a half, when finally there was a light rain which put the fire out. He then added regular firewood, and burned that down.

The stump kept on smoldering and smoking for days as more and more burning material got added on top. This process kept on repeating for days and days until the stump had finally reached its finally stages and was completely gone just from the force of fire.

This process is in no way the fastest process, but can be much easier than having to hire people to professionally remove the stump.


Expert Walks Into A Hotel Room And Reveals The First Thing You Should Do!

After hours on the road, train or flight, all we wish to do is get in our hotel room and sleep. But what if the room is infested with bed bugs, which is not an uncommon occurrence in hotel rooms. Jim Dill, an extension educator from Maine shares useful tips and tricks on how to check your hotel room for bed bugs and prevent them from reaching your home. Using a flashlight, you can run a quick search to check for bed bugs behind and under the bed, around the headboard, on the nightstand drawers and lamps.

He also advises on checking all four corners of the mattress thoroughly. One very important tip is to NEVER keep your luggage on a hotel bed, as it’s the quickest way for bed bugs to reach your home. He suggests on keeping it in the bathtub instead. For more tips and tricks, watch the video and be sure to SHARE it with friends and family so they can enjoy a bug-free hotel room.

After hours on the road, train or flight, all we wish to do is get in our hotel...


The remarkable footage was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory between May 17 and 19.

The video shows a giant dark area on the star's upper half, known as a coronal hole.

A NASA spokesman said: "Coronal holes are low-density regions of the sun’s atmosphere, known as the corona.

"Because they contain little solar material, they have lower temperatures and thus appear much darker than their surroundings.

"Coronal holes are visible in certain types of extreme ultraviolet light, which is typically invisible to our eyes, but is colorised here in purple for easy viewing."

NASA says the huge hole is actually not of great concern, but it remains unclear why the coronal holes actually form.

But it does mean that large amounts of solar winds, that cause the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights to form, have been blasted to Earth.

These would weak havoc with our communications and blast us with cancer-causing UV rays, if it were not for the Earth's magnetosphere which shields us from them.

The spokesman added: "These coronal holes are important to understanding the space environment around Earth through which our technology and astronauts travel.

"Coronal holes are the source of a high-speed wind of solar particles that streams off the sun some three times faster than the slower wind elsewhere.

Is the Sun DISINTEGRATING? NASA spots monster hole open up on our sta...

NASA has revealed that a massive hole, measuring more than ten per cent of the Sun's surface area, has opened up on our star.


HEALTHCARE EXPERT: Here’s how to avoid getting hit with surprise medical bills

Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal is the editor-in-chief of Kaiser Health News, author of "An American Sickness," and is a former physician herself. We asked her how to avoid getting huge surprise medical bills.

DR. ELISABETH ROSENTHAL: One thing I always tell patients when you're going into a doctor's office, talk to your doctor and say, "If I need lab tests, if I need an X-ray, will you send me to a facility that's in-network?" Because that's where people get hit with big surprise charges.

So, if you say to your doctor, "Always send my blood test to an in-network lab," you'll save yourself a lot of aggravation.

Your doctor may have to fill out an extra form because if he works with a hospital, his computer may be automatically set to default to ordering at the hospital lab. When he checks off boxes on an order sheet, there are no prices next to those boxes. I hear complaints from doctors all the time, "You know, I didn't know the hospital, or the lab, was going to charge this much."

One of the inflationary mechanisms in our system is that doctors have no idea. They have no idea when they're ordering a test, how much it costs. The patient is going to get stuck with those bills.

HEALTHCARE EXPERT: Here's how to avoid getting hit with surprise medical bills

Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal is the editor-in-chief of Kaiser Health News and a former physician herself. We asked her how to avoid getting surprise medical bills.


Trump says Happy New Year in the most Trump way

President-elect Donald Trump tweeted his New Year's wishes on Saturday morning, and they do not disappoint. Choosing to steer clear of a neutral, hopeful message for the future, Trump instead sent a tauntingly boastful signal to his enemies.

Presumably the tweet was also directed at his vanquished rival for the presidency, Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote by nearly 3 million but lost in the Electoral College.

One person that may not be on Trump's enemies list, but which is on such a roster among most Congressional Republicans as well as President Obama, is Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don't know what to do. Love!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2016

On Friday, Trump praised Putin as a "smart" man shortly after the U.S. sanctioned Russia for hacking the Democratic Party. He has vowed to improve relations with that country.

Trump chose to focus on a specific group in his initial New Year's message.

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Bet you can't guess what LeBron wore to Game 5 tonight:

Walking up to championship games has become a kind of red carpet, especially for ballers who take their kicks seriously. Few players have as many eyes on them as LeBron James, so it’s no surprise he chooses what’s on his feet very, very carefully.

We’ve reported on a handful of his choices during the last few games in the Cavaliers' series with the Golden State Warriors, but few were as surprising as today’s.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that LeBron walked up for Game 5 in Oakland wearing a pair of sneakers made to honor him, but the fact that they’re a limited pair of Nike Air Force 1s from 2003 definitely turned a number of heads. In 2003, LeBron was nowhere near the kind of star he is today, but leave it to LeBron to remind us he’s always been on the path he is now. Where that path leads will be decided in part by the game tonight, but in many ways will be debated for years to come.

What LeBron James Wore to Game Give Might Surprise You

LeBron James wore a surprising pair of sneakers to Game 5 of the NBA Finals tonight.


Hundreds of Ignored Rape Kits Were Just Tested and the Results Reveal Something Horrifying

On Monday, researchers from Case Western University released the results of an investigation into backlogged rape kits in Ohio's Cuyahoga County. Included in the results are some noteworthy findings about the behaviors of serial rapists and one time offenders.

The data, which was reported by the Cut, revealed that a startling number of sexual assaults were committed by serial rapists.

According to the Cut, the Case Western study is related to a larger effort to process a huge backlog of rape kits in the Cleveland area. Researchers were able to look at 248 high priority rape case files, and found noteworthy differences between serial rapists and one time offenders.

"About a quarter of the serial offenders in this sample had previously been arrested for sexual assault, and 60 percent would have a subsequent sexual-assault arrest. The majority of both serial and onetime sexual offenders had a history of a felony-level arrest, but serial offenders' histories were more extensive and violent. Serial rapists were also more likely to kidnap their victims, commit the assault outdoors, and threaten victims with a weapon.

Case Western researchers also wrote in a brief that "it is very likely that a sexual offender has either previously sexually assaulted or will offend again in the future."

As result, they recommend authorities alter their approach to investigating rape cases.

"Investigating each sexual assault as possibly being perpetrated by a serial offender has the potential to reduce the number of sexual assaults if the focus of the investigation is more on the offender than on a single incident. Serial offenders have traditionally been investigated according to the consistency of the assault or the MO (e.g., who they assault, where they assault, how they assault). For example, our findings seem to suggest that MOs (while definitely important to track for investigative purposes, especially when DNA is present) are not a consistently reliable link across assaults and thus a missed opportunity to solve unsolved sexual assaults and an opportunity to prevent future offending."

We don't know exactly how many untested rape kits are out there.

"We cannot be sure of the total number of untested kits nationwide because most jurisdictions do not have systems for tracking or counting rape kits," End the Backlog reports. "Additionally, there is no federal law mandating a nationwide movement toward tracking and testing rape kits, despite efforts by some members of Congress to pass such legislation. However a growing number of states, all across the country, are making real reforms to end the backlog."

A new bill in Oregon aims to end the rape kit backlog https://t.co/jBJTRWkfSN pic.twitter.com/1r9UO1bL7E — NSVRC (@NSVRC) February 4, 2016

In late May, the Senate unanimously voted to pass a bill that would grant rights to victims of sexual assault.

"The Senate measure would generally require that victims be notified of the results of rape kit tests, including any DNA matches, as well as toxicology reports that could show whether they had been given a date-rape drug, for instance," the New York Times reported.

A victim's rights bill has passed in the Senate, here's hoping the House follows suit. https://t.co/Yx6VEg5Nmq — Clarina (@ClarinaHNCenter) June 6, 2016

"The bill would also ensure that rape kits would be preserved without charge for 20 years or until the statute of limitations expires, whichever comes first," the Times added.

Still, it's important to acknowledge that only a small fraction of victims of sexual assault report incidents to law enforcement.

Sixty-eight percent of sexual assault victims do not report incidents to the police, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

You can read the whole report on the Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) Pilot Research Project at Case Western University's Begun Center site.

Testing of Backlogged Rape Kits Reveal New Insights

Backlogged rape kits revealed that a startling number of sexual assaults were committed by serial rapists.


NEWS: Prominent Republican senator to endorse John Kasich for president

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman is backing his state’s governor in the GOP primary.

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a powerful Senate Republican who once considered a run for his party’s presidential nomination, endorsed John Kasich, the Republican governor of his home state, for president on Saturday.

"I have decided to endorse Governor John Kasich for President because he is a leader who has a proven record of delivering results," Portman wrote in a Facebook post. "John turned Ohio around at a tough time and I believe he can do the same for our country."

Kasich, who has positioned himself as a moderate in a field that includes government-shutdown guru Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and deranged billionaire Donald Trump, trails both men in national polls, as well as polls of the crucial early contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. Kasich sits between 1 and 2 percent in national and Iowa polls, far behind Trump and Cruz, but he’s in the mix in New Hampshire, with 8.4 percent, according to HuffPost Pollster polling averages. Trump leads the New Hampshire field with 37.4 percent, followed by Cruz at 17.5 percent.

Portman is expected to face a tough re-election race in Ohio this year and had previously vowed not to endorse anyone in the presidential race. Kasich "will be a great candidate," he said in July. "He’s got a terrific story to tell about Ohio." But Portman said then that he was "focused on being a good senator for Ohio and my own race and [didn’t] plan on endorsing anyone."

Since December 2014, when he said he would not run for president in 2016, Portman has been repeatedly mentioned as a potential 2016 vice presidential candidate. Portman is one "of the party’s most promising vice presidential candidates," The Hill’s Alexander Bolton wrote Thursday:

Republicans believe Portman, who was also seen as a possible VP in 2012, would add gravitas to the White House ticket and help deliver to the GOP column Ohio, which decided the 2004 presidential election...

"Portman could be important," said Ford O’Connell, a GOP strategist who worked on Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) 2008 presidential campaign. "Portman makes geographical sense."

"Portman’s strength is not only has he been effective in Congress, he’s been effective in the administration. He would come into the [vice president’s] role as a senior statesman," said Patrick Davis, a former political director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

"I would put Rob Portman on that list. He’s a good one."

There’s one potential hurdle for a Portman VP candidacy: As Bolton writes, Kasich — "if he bows out" — is also a potential VP candidate. As with all political relationships, it’s complicated.

Prominent Republican Senator Endorses John Kasich For President

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman is backing his state's governor in the GOP primary.


BEIJING - Wal-Mart Stores Inc , the world's biggest retailer, is expanding its China business as it seeks to raise profitability in a slowing retail sector.

Wal-Mart will open up to 110 facilities in China between 2014 and 2016, in addition to the 30 it has already opened this year, it said at a press event in Beijing on Thursday.

Wal-Mart has closed 11 stores and is looking to close 15-30 others over the next 18 months, said Greg Foran, chief executive of Wal-Mart China, in what he called part of a rationalization process.

The U.S. company is tackling tough global economic conditions and a fundamental change in China's retail sector, as annual sales growth slows and consumers move towards shopping online.

Wal-Mart wants to profit from China's changing retail landscape by embracing e-commerce, which is expected to record 32 percent composite annual growth between 2012 and 2015, according to Bain & Co.

"Customers are using technology more, and especially here in China," said Wal-Mart Chief Executive Officer Mike Duke.

"We love customers to understand price, and the safety of the product they're purchasing. E-commerce is a great enabler allowing Walmart to grow globally."

Duke said Wal-Mart's e-commerce business grew about 30 percent in the first half of the year, and that the company is aligned with China's government strategy that promotes an emerging middle class and urbanization.

Wal-Mart announced last week that it was closing 50 unprofitable stores in Brazil and China as the retailer seeks to ensure sales growth outpaces operating expenses. International sales declined 2.9 percent in the three months ended July 31.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer competes in China against market leaders Sun Art Retail Group Ltd <6808.HK>, a joint venture between Taiwan conglomerate Ruentex Group and privately held French retailer Groupe Auchan SA, and China Resources Enterprise Ltd <0291.HK>, which in August teamed up with British retailer Tesco Plc .

Last year, Wal-Mart bought control of its Chinese online store Yihaodian, which claims 24 million registered users and provides same-day delivery services to customers.

Wal-Mart operates more than 400 retail hypermarkets, Sam's Club stores and distribution centers in more than 160 cities throughout China.

Walmart Plans To Open Up To 110 New Stores In China By 2016

BEIJING - Wal-Mart Stores Inc , the world's biggest retailer, is expanding its China business as it seeks to raise profitability in a sl...

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SHOULD YOU DRINK THE NEW GUINNESS NITRO IPA?

The new Guinness Nitro IPA is unfortunately not a forward-thinking collaboration with American Gladiators legend Nitro. It's just an IPA infused with nitrogen. In fact, I don't even think Guinness owns a tennis ball cannon.

Guinness claims it's "hop-forward" with the "qualities of a classic Guinness pint," which's achieved by the fact that they use 1) Irish barley malt, 2) the famous Guinness yeast strain, and 3) their signature nitrogenation, which infuses the tap beers with nitrogen and releases the gas in cans via their widget, which also gives you some super cool ghost mist (oooOOoOOOooOoooo) upon opening.

Should You Drink the New Guinness Nitro IPA? We Found Out.

The new Guinness Nitro IPA is unfortunately not a forward-thinking collaboration with 'American Gladiators' legend Nitro. It's just an IPA infused with nitrogen. In fact, I don't even think Guinness owns a tennis ball cannon. How do we know? Well, because we met with Guinness last night to try the beer.


Lenovo's Yoga Book just killed off the keyboard - Lenovo's Yoga Book is a groundbreaking tablet that instantly digitizes your writing.

For years the tech world has pushed the idea that tablets could replace laptops one day, but if you’ve ever used one as your main machine you know we’re not quite there yet. The best of the best, like Microsoft’s underrated Surface, are still glorified laptops and while the latest iPad made great strides it still requires extra accessories to become your day to day machine. There’s hope on the horizon however, and the light that’s shining over is from Lenovo

Lenovo’s Yoga Book is the company’s latest tablet computer, a familiar idea that reimagines the tablet as a two-panel experience. Unlike a traditional laptop the Yoga Book doesn’t feature a keyboard, rather it has a screen and a second touch interface. The second touch interface doubles as a "keyboard" and a digital writing space. We put keyboard is quotation marks because the Yoga Book doesn’t feature physical keys.

Instead when you need to type a glowing touch keyboard and trackpad appear on the second touch interface, allowing you to type like you’re on a laptop without having to press any physical buttons. By utilizing haptic feedback the Yoga lets your fingers know when you’ve hit a key, all without physically having to press a button.

The secondary touch interface also allows you to digitally write or take notes digitally on the Yoga via a Wacom technology based pen stylus. If you’re a sucker for writing with pen and ink the Yoga still has you covered. You can put a piece of paper on the top of the touch interface and have your writing instantly digitized as you write.

The Yoga also has a reversible main screen, similar to what is currently available on Lenovo laptops, that allows the whole thing to be used as one-handed tablet. Closed, the machine is under 10mm thick, and features a 10.1-inch, 1080p touchscreen display, 8-megapixel camera, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a microSD card slot.


She Fills Her Coffee Pot With Ramen Noodles... But What Happens Next? GENIUS!!

While the combination of ramen noodles and coffee usually don’t go together, the making of those noodles within a coffee pot offers up a unique way to cook them. To begin the process, you should simply crumble up the noodles within a package, since the smaller size will make it easier to heat the product up.

From there, place the noodles in the coffee pot, making sure that all of the noodles are exposed. Next, bring together any other items you might want to add and then fill the pot with a few cups of water. That’s followed by then turning the pot on, with the process lasting anywhere between two to three minutes. Once that’s been completed, the food should be ready, with the added items adding some flavoring to the overall mix. One important thing to remember is that prior to using the pot, make sure to wash it thoroughly. Otherwise, the ramen noodles will inevitably have a strong coffee-based taste, which may ruin this otherwise ingenious idea.

This food has been an iconic staple for many college students who are forced to stretch their tight budgets. That’s because of the low cost of these noodles and the ordinarily uncomplicated manner of cooking them. One of the few drawbacks to eating this food is that each packet of it is loaded with sodium, with many packets containing over 1,800 milligrams of sodium per serving. That’s in comparison to the overall suggested daily intake of 2,300 milligrams.


@MicheleBachmann's questionable 9/11 suggestion

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) suggested the Muslim Brotherhood was behind the 9/11 attacks during a press conference in Egypt on Saturday.

"We have seen the threat that the Muslim Brotherhood has posed here for the people in Egypt. We have seen the threat that the Muslim Brotherhood has posed around the world," Bachmann said. "We stand against this great evil. We are not for them. We remember who caused 9/11 in America. We remember who it was that killed 3,000 brave Americans. We have not forgotten."

The Muslim Brotherhood denounced the attacks shortly after they occurred, with several leaders saying they were "horrified by the events" of September 11.

Bachmann, accompanied by Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and Steve King (R-Iowa), thanked the Egyptian military for the coup and crackdowns against the Muslim Brotherhood, which she called the "common enemy" of Egypt and the U.S. The Washington Post reports the video was apparently taken a few hours after meeting with coup leader General Abdel Fatah el-Sissi in Cairo.

"Together, we've gone through suffering. Together, the United States and Egypt, have dealt with the same enemy," Bachmann said. "It's a common enemy, and it's an enemy called terrorism."

Michele Bachmann Suggests Muslim Brotherhood To Blame For 9/11, Thanks Egyptian Military For Coup

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Yogi Adityanath has dominated headlines in India since his appointment as leader of the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh. A saffron-robed Hindu priest, he is a highly controversial figure who is loved and hated in equal measure, as the BBC's Geeta Pandey reports.

At the weekend, Yogi, as he is widely known, returned to a hero's welcome to the temple town of Gorakhpur for the first time since he was sworn in as chief minister on 19 March.

Overnight, the town turned saffron, the colour of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). All roads leading to Gorakhnath temple were decorated with party flags, marigold flowers and orange balloons.

The smiling new leader, 44, looked down from massive hoardings and posters on buildings, and mannequins outside shops even sported bright saffron outfits.

At a college run by the temple, thousands of people waited for hours to see him. Speakers praised his vision and leadership. "Some people walk in others' footsteps, some make footsteps for others to walk in," said one.

A brilliant orator, Yogi Adityanath has been elected MP for Gorakhpur five times since 1998 and the crowds there worship him. Many tell me he's a "reincarnation of the gods, a God himself".

But he is also a very controversial leader who has often been in the news for the wrong reasons. Critics describe him as India's most divisive and abusive politician who used his election rallies to whip up anti-Muslim hysteria.

And some of the statements attributed to him - and his supporters - have been widely condemned.

He accused Muslim men of indulging in a "love jihad" to seduce Hindu women and convert them, he claimed that Mother Teresa wanted to Christianise India, he called for a Donald Trump-style travel ban on Muslims in India and compared Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan to Pakistan-based militant Hafiz Saeed.

At one point, he shared a stage with a supporter who said that when Yogi Adityanath came to power, Muslims would no longer have the right to vote and that supporters would rape dead Muslim women.

His campaign promises included "anti-Romeo squads" to "prevent harassment of Hindu women" and he listed protecting cows and shutting down illegal slaughterhouses as his top priorities.

Religious Hindus revere cows and slaughtering them is illegal in large parts of India, including Uttar Pradesh. In 2015, a Muslim man was lynched by a Hindu mob which alleged that he had stored beef at home.

Yogi Adityanath also faces criminal charges. He has been accused of attempted murder, criminal intimidation and rioting in relation to a clash that took place in 1999. And in 2007, he spent 11 days in jail for making inflammatory speeches.

No wonder then that his surprise elevation has alarmed many in India and around the world, with many expressing concerns that the state's 40 million Muslims will not have an easy time under his watch.

In an editorial, The Guardian called it a "victory for anti-Muslim bigotry" and the New York Times said Mr Modi was trying to "humour Hindu extremists". The paper called the move "a shocking rebuke to religious minorities".

Respected Indian columnist Pratap Bhanu Mehta called it an "odious and ominous" development.

And the negative publicity has continued since he became chief minister.. The "anti-Romeo squads" have been accused of harassing and intimidating courting couples in cities and towns, and the authorities have been criticised for forcing abattoirs to shut down, mostly on flimsy grounds.

The press in Gorakhpur, however, has been more complimentary, revelling in the "grand victory" of their hero.

"Local newspapers are writing in great detail about his amazing memory skills, they say he can remember names of thousands of people. Some are talking about how he communicates directly with his 500 cows, monkeys, dogs and birds," says senior Gorakhpur journalist Kumar Harsh.

"For people here, he's a celebrity. He's the chief priest and head of the temple management, which also runs a hospital and colleges.. He is very hardworking and is immensely popular with the people," he adds.

The son of a forest ranger, Yogi Adityanath was born in 1972 in Garhwal (which was then in Uttar Pradesh but is now in Uttarakhand state) and was named Ajay Singh Bisht.

A maths graduate, he moved to Gorakhpur in November 1993 and three months later was appointed heir to Mahant Avaidyanath, the temple's chief priest and an influential Hindu politician. A vegetarian, he has taken a vow of lifelong celibacy.

Dwarika Tiwari is his deputy at the temple and has worked closely with him since his arrival in Gorakhpur.

"He's very intelligent, bright and hard-working, he's efficient, he respects everyone whatever their caste, creed or religion, he respects women and loves children."

Mr Tiwari concedes he has weaknesses - a tendency for plain speaking and a quick temper.

When I point out the anti-Muslim statements during the campaign, the criminal charges and the fact that he was briefly jailed, Mr Tiwari brushes them aside as "malicious propaganda" and "conspiracy" from his political rivals.

"Muslims respect him equally. They also come to us to resolve their disputes," he says.

Just outside the temple gates, Muslim shopkeepers insist they are not unduly worried over the appointment.

Cloth merchant Feroz Ahmad says he, in fact, voted for the BJP and now hopes that Yogi Adityanath will bring much-needed development to this backward town.

I ask him what he makes of his rabble-rousing, anti-Muslim statements.

"All politicians say such things to win elections," he says. "Some of his supporters are troublemakers who do wrong things. But now that he's in power, it will all stop."

So can it all be dismissed as mere rhetoric, something he indulged in just to win the election?

Sharat Pradhan, senior journalist in the state capital, Lucknow, says "ever since he's been named chief minister, he's been conducting himself very responsibly".

"In his first days in power, he's been careful. He's shown a lot of restraint. He's trying to be inclusive, he's even inducted a Muslim into his cabinet."

He has also been trying an image makeover - paying a surprise visit to a police station one day, visiting an acid attack victim in hospital the next. He has also refrained from commenting on the contentious issue of the Ram temple in Ayodhya despite it being promised in the BJP election manifesto.

"But the worry is with the fringe elements among his supporters. With his rabble rousing, he's freed the genie from the bottle, now the question is can he control it?" asks Mr Pradhan.

That is precisely what Yogi Adityanath attempted to do when he took the stage in Gorakhpur at the weekend, appealing to his boisterous supporters to behave.

"The prime minister has given me a huge responsibility, to ensure that development reaches the last man. I assure you no-one will be ignored, irrespective of their caste, creed or religion," he said. "And I need your help to succeed."

Success, Mr Pradhan says, will depend on whether he can ensure the first six months of his rule are trouble-free. Then he can build his future.

"At present Mr Modi is number one in the party, the others are number nine. There's no-one in between. Yogi Adityanath can be number two.

"He's young. Age is on his side. By the time he turns 60, Mr Modi will be 80. And he will be ready to take him on. He's the BJP's tomorrow."

Who's the Hindu hardliner running India's most populous state?

Yogi Adityanath: What kind of leader will the polarising new chief minister of Uttar Pradesh be?


Busy Nurse Is Surprised When Patient Calls For Her But Never Expected To Hear This

It was a man’s voice, loud and gruff, coming from room 254. I was taking a shortcut through the telemetry unit after another busy day in the critical care unit. These weren’t her patients, so she kept going.

"Yo, the blondie, it’s you!" the man shouted again.

I stopped and went to the doorway of room 254 and glanced in. A large man with a big, friendly face was sitting up in bed.

"Do you remember me? You were my nurse on the fourth floor."

"I’m sorry, but I work in the critical care unit. You must have me confused with someone else."

"No, wait a minute." He started snapping his fingers. "Your name is ... Oh, let me think ..." He looked up at the ceiling, a half smile on his face. Then he looked back at me.

"Daisy, right? You’ve got a long, blond ponytail, don’t you?"

I was dumbfounded. "Yes," I said, peeking at my chest to make sure I’d taken off my name tag. I then studied the man’s face, looking for something that might trigger my memory.

"I’m sorry. I don’t work on the fourth floor, and I just don’t remember you."

"That’s all right, Daisy. I’m just glad I got to see you again. You came into my room about 3 weeks ago. My heart stopped dead on me and you put those paddles on my chest. I remember you shouting out all these technical words, telling everybody to clear the way. Then you took those paddles and you shocked me back to life."

Suddenly, it dawned on me. I had been in his room, for a code I’d forgotten about. He was a different person back then – unresponsive, with dilated pupils and a red and blue face.

"Who told you I helped you that day?" I asked curiously.

The man laughed and looked back up at the ceiling.

"Nobody told me. I was up on that ceiling there watching you. That’s how I saw your long, blond ponytail. And when you turned to look at the monitor, I saw your beautiful face. I’m so glad I got to see you again."

He looked back down at me. His smile was gone, and he was getting emotional.

"I wanted to say thanks. Thanks so much..."

A warm feeling welled up inside me. I didn’t understand how the man could see me from the ceiling while his life was ebbing away. Some might call it an out-of-body experience. It might also be just a miracle of sorts – no different from many other small miracles that occur every day in the hospitals.

Every time I pass room 254 now, a warm feeling wells up inside me. I am grateful for the shortcut I took that day, and for the fact that I answered the call of "Hey, Nurse."

Busy Nurse Is Surprised When Patient Calls For Her, But Never Expecte...


New survey reveals how college presidents feel about allowing guns on campus

Nearly every college president opposes allowing guns on campus, according to a new survey.

Research from Ball State University publicized Monday showed 95 percent of college presidents and chancellors oppose permiting firearms on their campuses. The survey of 401 college chief executives identified accidental shootings of fellow students as their top concern with allowing guns on campus.

In addition, the survey found 98 percent of college presidents believe students and faculty feel safe on their campuses.

The findings were published in the report "University Presidents’ Perceptions and Practice Regarding the Carrying of Concealed Handguns on College Campuses." It was publicized less than two weeks after six students were slain near the University of California-Santa Barbara, as 22-year-old Elliot Rodger shot eight people and stabbed three others to death.

There were at least 27 shootings on or near college campuses in 2013.

Allowing guns on campus is proving to be one of the most unpopular proposals in the collegiate world. Legislation to allow firearms at colleges has faced opposition nationwide, including in conservative states.

Previous research from Ball State, surveying students at 15 Midwestern colleges, similarly found four-in-five students oppose allowing guns on campus.

Overwhelming Majority Of College Presidents Oppose Allowing Guns On Campus, Research Finds

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What does it take to break the world record for longest kiss?

If you can't find the right card, can't express your love with flower, and don't want to purchase candy, there's another thing you can give your beloved -- a Guinness World Record.

Try for the world's longest kiss. Win or lose, it makes for a memorable day, and it shouldn't cost much more than a box of caffeine pills.

The current record-holding smooch is 58.35 lip-smacking hours, set in Thailand last V-day by Ekkachai Tiranarat and Laksana Tiranarat. They competed against nine other couples, including a pair of septuagenarian smoochers.

Another record for you and your sweetheart to aim cupid's arrow at -- most hugs in a 24-hour period.

The record is 8,709 and was achieved by American Jonathan Sexton at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn., on June 11, 2010.

Sexton didn't focus his attention on one person. He was hugging anyone who was willing, male or female. He wasn't being trampy. He was raising money for United Way's "Restore the Dream" fund, to aid flood victims in Nashville.

Other love-oriented records are even more difficult. You'd better start as soon as you can if you and that special someone want to have the world's longest marriage. Herbert Fisher and Zelmyra Fisher were together 86 years, 9 months, and 16 days. It was a love that lasted until Herbert's death on Feb. 27, 2011. He was 105.

Other Valentine's Day-themed world records that anyone would love to have include the largest underwater wedding.

That was set Aug. 27, 2011, when 303 divers attended the marriage ceremony between Ewa Staronska and Pawel Burkowski. The two got hitched at the Koparki Diving Base, in Jaworzno, Poland.

The record for largest chocolate truffle is 1,768 pounds, 11 ounces. The giant sweet was achieved by Italian confectioners Mirco Della Vecchia and Andrea Andrighetti at the Sigep Fair in Rimini, Italy, on January 21, 2012.

The Guinness World Record for the largest box of chocolates is a Thorntons Moments behemoth weighing 3,725 pounds. It was 16 feet, 6 inches long, 11 feet, 2 inches wide and 3 feet, 3.5 inches deep when officially measured on April 2, 2008.

Finally, while your Valentine may have lots of teddy bears, he or she will have to go a long way to beat Jackie Miley.

When her collection was officially given the record on March 11, 2011, she had 7,106 different teddy bears. She's added more since.

Miley began collecting the bears in 2002, and keeps her collection in a little house of their own called Teddy Bear Town. It is located across the street from her apartment in Hill City, S.D.

Stumped for a Valentine's Day gift?

If you can't find the right card, can't express your love with flower, and don't want to purchase candy, there's a...

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Professor Snape is probably still alive and this fan theory proves it

Turns out, J.K. Rowling isn't the only person who can drop Harry Potter bombshells this long after the franchise's conclusion. While the final film came out back in 2011, and the final book even earlier, fans are still hard at work with theories about the the magical world, and the latest is particularly game-changing.

Is Harry Potter old enough that I don't need to "spoiler alert" it anymore? Just in case: spoiler alert, Snape dies at the end. But, after reading a new theory on Reddit, I wonder —  Does he? Everything you thought you knew is turned on its head thanks to user DER_GOTTKAISER, who caused a stir earlier this week with their theory that potions master Severus Snape is still alive.

They have two reasons for believing this, and they're pretty legit. The first is that when Harry uses the resurrection stone before facing Voldemort, Snape doesn't appear.

"You'd think Snape was very important to Harry, he loved his mother, gave his life to save him, and shielded him all his life," the wrote. "Harry just found out how Snape had been protecting him the whole time and died to save him, so when he used the magic ring that brings the spirits of dead people, you'd think Snape would be there. He certainly knew Snape longer than Lupin, and you'd think Snape was far more important to him than Lupin, but Snape wasn't around. Perhaps he was not dead."

Definitely curious, especially when you consider the second point: Snape's body wasn't displayed at the end of the battle.

"After the big battle, they lay out all the bodies, all the people who died, even the death eaters and Voldemort's," the user continues. "Harry sees Lupin's and Fred's body, but Snape's body isn't there. You'd think Harry would have told everyone about Snape's sacrifice so they can find his body too. But nope, Snape's corpse isn't found."

Plus, there are some other things that just don't add up. The post points out how odd it is that a potions master wouldn't have an antidote to snake venom, especially since Snape had to have known that as a double-agent he was highly likely to, at some point, suffer Nagini's wrath.

DER_GOTTKAISER thinks that instead, Snape is still alive and out living his own adventures. After everything he's been through, that sounds like a good idea. We just need someone to confirm that it's all true — J.K. Rowling, where you at?

Snape Is Probably Still Alive & This Fan Theory Proves It

Is Harry Potter old enough that I don't need to "spoiler alert" it anymore?  The first is that when Harry uses the resurrection stone before facing Voldemort, Snape doesn't appear.  "You'd think Snape was very important to Harry, he loved his mother, gave his life to save him


The sound that sparked a lockdown at a suburban Philadelphia military academy was most likely caused by bubble wrap being popped, and not gunfire, officials said.

A student who lives in an Eastern University apartment building located on the property of the Valley Forge Military Academy and College heard what she thought were shots fired Monday evening and called 911, academy officials said in a statement.

Police from Radnor and Tredyffrin Townships responded, and the academy, Eastern University and nearby Cabrini University were all placed on lockdown while police searched the area. They found no weapons or evidence of any weapon being fired at any time, and no one was injured, officials said.

"Police report that one student indicated that the sound she heard could have been bubble wrap being popped," the academy posted on its Facebook page.

The lockdown was lifted about an hour and a half later, and the academy and the two universities resumed normal activities.

Eastern University officials said in a statement posted on Facebook that they’re "thankful this event was not an actual gun related situation." They also thanked the campus community for its patience, and said that the student "took the correct action in calling 911."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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This woman's random act of kindness for a dad and his daughter is going viral

When a dad who was traveling with his daughter was told that his 2-year-old was too old to fly for free, he was devastated — he wasn't going to be able to afford to buy a ticket for her. However, a woman next to him at the airport overheard the conversation, and decided to step in to help.

"This woman needs to be commended," Leslie wrote. He went on to explain that since the man's daughter was a year old when he booked the ticket, he didn't think he would need to buy a separate one for her.

"He stepped aside and tried to make a few calls," he continued. "Hugging his daughter and grabbing his head, you could tell he was heartbroken."

When a woman at the counter heard what happened, Leslie explained, she came to ask what was wrong. After talking for a moment, they went up to the counter together.

"She pointed back at his daughter and said, 'I wanna buy her ticket,'" Leslie wrote. "The agent said 'You know how much this ticket costs right?' The woman responded '$700 something?' '$749' the agent said. The woman said 'that's fine' and pulled out her credit card."

Though the man offered to pay her back, the woman insisted on covering his daughter's ticket, no strings attached.

The Love What Matters Facebook page commented on the post to say that it has followed up with Leslie and the woman in question to verify that this story is indeed true.

Though the woman wishes to be unnamed, someone who claims to know her commented on the post and shed more insight on who she is as a person.

"I asked her once what I could do each day to be successful," the Facebook user commented. "Her response [sic] surprised me. She said each day have reflection time, make a list and don't leave your desk before the 10 most important things are done, and always give gratitude daily."

This Woman's Random Act Of Kindness For A Dad & His Daughter Is Going Viral

When a dad who was traveling with his daughter was told that his 2-year-old was too old to fly for free, he was devastated — he wasn't going to be able to afford to buy a ticket for her.  Kevin Leslie, who witnessed what happened, shared what he saw on the Love What Matters Facebook page.  "


15 Easy Side Hustles Millennials can Start This Weekend

A recent Bentley University study found that over 66% of millennials want to start their own businesses. Yet, as of 2013, only 3.6% of businesses in the U.S. were owned by those under the age of 30. Clearly, there’s a large disparity between the number of young people wanting to be their own bosses, and those who are actually managing to pull it off. Many young people are naturally entrepreneurial, but without a steady flow of income it could prove challenging to jump into starting a new venture. There’s where side hustles come in.

Whether it’s for lack of having a detailed plan to launching while working, or just not knowing how to get started, here are fifteen side businesses you can actually get off the ground this weekend.

There’s a huge online demand for English teachers who have the patience and willingness to regularly coach people over Skype. What’s more, is that you can easily make upwards of $25 an hour from people in places like Hong Kong or the United Arab Emirates, and it can even open doors to travel the world. While full ESL (English as a Second Language) accreditation is recommended, you can qualify as long as you’re a native speaker. Sites like Indeed, Learn4Good and Remote.co often post remote English teaching jobs, but stay abreast of the latest postings because available opportunities and fees vary.

Believe it or not, having expert advice and getting insightful help for navigating Tinder, OK Cupid, and Coffee Meets Bagel is something many people are willing to pay for. Take dating coach, Virginia Roberts of The Heartographer, who charges a whopping $200 an hour for her one-on-one video coaching. If you can put together an enticing profile, select flattering photos, and craft messages like a pro, your friends are probably already asking you for advice. Now it’s time to cash in on your skills.

If you love to travel and find yourself frequently searching for airfare sales or browsing sites like Lonely Planet, why not monetize your knowledge as a private travel consultant? Start with friends and family who know they can already count on you for cheap flights and amazing activity recommendations. Ask for referrals and sign up on a site that connects you with travelers, such as Plansify. As a Plansify Travel Advisor, you can start connecting with a larger audience of people seeking your advice. Most registered advisors charge $12 to $30 to answer up to three traveler questions, and $50 to $75 for a one-hour Skype session.

If you already have a sizable Instagram following, or a knack for getting followers, you could be approached by major brands, gear companies, and other relevant businesses with products and services your audience may be interested in. Take 25-year-old Liz Eswein for example, who charges a fee to brands for taking the photos she posts on her account @NewYorkCity, and an additional $1 per like on top of that. Not bad, considering most of her photos get well over 20,000 likes.

There’s a big difference between drinking beer and learning how to brew it. But, with patience and a bit of persistence, brewing it yourself could result in something special over time as you perfect your craft. Pick up a starter kit, like one from Mr. Beer and get creative about finding a winning flavor combination. Start small by setting up a booth at a local street fair and networking with local restaurant owners. Be sure to brush up on local regulations and proper licensing before you start selling.

Do you live in a destination where others frequently visit? If you know your city well and enjoy meeting new people, get the best of both worlds by starting your own local tour business. Make it unique like Erik Hormann’s Vantigo, a company that takes you around San Francisco in a stylish VW van, and you’ll be able to command anywhere from $55 to $600 depending on the tour.

There’s a surprisingly large market of businesspeople and grad school students that are more than willing to outsource the design of their PowerPoint presentations. Whether it’s investor pitch decks or thesis presentations, Adam Noar of Presentation Panda is proof that you can turn your passion for presentation design into a legit side business.

If you had a knack for standardized tests and had no trouble acing the SAT or ACT, you’ll find that many parents are eager to shell out upwards of $100 an hour for the right tutor to help their kids gain entrance to the college of their choice. Begin with this checklist for starting an SAT tutoring business and look into taking the route of tutoring student for their regular coursework, which will net you closer to $17 an hour. If you’re a credentialed teacher, or have special certifications, you’ll be able to charge much higher rates for the right students.

If you have marketable skills as a developer, designer, or online marketer, there's an online audience who’d be willing to pay for your expertise, in order to become experts, too. Start by testing your way into the market on Udemy or Skillshare, where there’s already an existing audience for career-related courses. As you build your brand, aim for teaching on higher-visibility online education platforms like CreativeLive.

Domain trading has been around for decades, and while the best ones have long been sold off (Insure.com went for $16 million in 2009), there’s plenty of others you can get your hands on for relatively cheap. Earlier this year, I registered thelaunchformula.com for $11.95 because it was a catchy title for an upcoming course I’m filming. Since then, I’ve already received two offers to purchase it for just under $1,000.

If you can attract a regular audience for your podcast, there’s good money to be made from sponsorships and other digital product offerings. At my own day job, we regularly pay $250 to $500 for 30-second advertisements on relevant business podcasts. Check out this episode of the Conscious Millionaire Podcast for an interview with John Lee Dumas, the host of Entrepreneur on Fire, for more tips on how to make money podcasting, including selling online courses, eBooks, and coaching sessions.

Many people give up on their faulty laptops, mobile phones or cameras without even looking into the cause of their malfunctions. While it’s no doubt a small-margin business, if you have the skills to fix broken electronics, consider refurbishing and reselling other people’s discarded goods on sites like eBay, Amazon, and Craigslist.

With made-to-order fashion going mainstream, this industry is fueling a lot of side hustle opportunities. If you know how to mend clothes, then you have a growing market of budget-conscious and personalization-obsessed customers readily available. As long as you can get your hands on a commercial-grade sewing machine, start by offering to partner with local drycleaning and laundry services in exchange for referral fees every time they send you a new customer.

Busy life in the city has created a growing need for people with extra time and patience to take dogs out for a mid-day stroll. Start by downloading the on-demand dog walking app, Wag that’ll link you with pet owners in L.A., San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle.

If editing and advising college students on how to write compelling 500 word essays on topics such as "You were just invited to speak at the White House. Write your speech," seems like a compelling way to spend your free time, trust me - tons of parents will pay you to edit admissions essays and offer constructive feedback for their children.

15 Easy Side Hustles Millennials Can Start This Weekend


Lot of Pokémon Go players demanding refunds after latest update due to this reason

Lot of Pokémon Go players demanding refunds after latest update due to this reason

A warning that the game would no longer be supported in unlocked, rooted or jail-broken devices was already given by Niantic before the latest Pokemon Go update.. However, some of the players didn’t seem impressed with this decision.

A message, which reads, "This device, OS, or software is not compatible with Pokémon Go," are shown in the jailbroken phones.

The players who are facing this issue are now asking for their money back. A Reddit post, made by a user in this regard was highly upvoted. The user mentioned about his experience with the Google customer service while he tried to get the refund for his Pokemon Go in-app purchases.

GnothiSeauton, the creator of the original post said, "I wouldn’t have had a problem with [the update booting jailbroken/rooted/unlocked phones] if they blocked rooted users from launch." "However, doing it 2 months into the [game] show after rooted users have invested time and money into the game, is completely unscrupulous," he added.

There is only a little hope for the players who spent money on Pokemon Go to get back their money by using this type of protest.

Niantic has taken this strict step to decrease cheating in the game, which is obviously understandable. However, some of the players think that rooting the phone is no crime as many people roots their Android devices to make them more customizable. On the other hand, there are also people who buy unlocked phone to avoid some extra charges.

Some workarounds for the Android users facing this issue has come up on various gaming websites and forums. One of such popular method is to install another program in the phone which can give you back the access to the game.

Pokemon Go is back on track with the release of the Buddy update, after the drastic downfall it had seen over the course of the last month. However, players facing this type of issues can hamper the game once again. It’ll be better for Niantic if they sort out something soon in this matter.

Pokemon Go players are miffed about Niantic's latest policy and are demanding refunds due to the Buddy update