Media Convergence Initiative

New Lace Panty Law has Women Up in Arms against Government

Posted on February 17, 2014 by pascalk09

On Monday, three women were arrested in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Nine women were protesting the new lace underwear ban which is set to be put into place July 2014.

According to Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus synthetic lace underwear does not meet the required level of absorption of moister that the new law requires. If an undergarment does not meet the level 6 absorption level it is not allowed to be sold as it is a “safety issue”. Synthetic lace underwear only absorbs at a 3 to 3.6 level. This ban has not been officially set to Russia.

According to The Moscow Times the law did go into effect in 2012 but is not strictly enforced. Most stores are still playing the ‘I had no idea’ card to get away with the sale of lace underwear.

One of the nine women, Iryna Davydenko, talked to NBC news commenting “As if all other issues in the country are solved and the only outstanding issue is ladies’ panties.” The protesters showing their anger towards the new legislation that “wants to decide what they should wear”.

The ladies protested in the capitol of Kazakhstan while wearing lace underwear on their heads. Some demonstrators at the protest reported receiving messages to not show up to the protest according to BBC News. There is word that the ladies of Kazakhstan will be stock piling the lace underwear before the official ban in July.

The Moscow Times reported that The Russian Industry and Trade Ministry announced it would try an nullify the new legislation because of recent criticism of clothing manufacturers.

Posted in World News | Comments Off

DDoS Attacks On The Rise!

Posted on February 17, 2014 by alicia mitchell

On February 10^th there was the biggest DDoS attack on the Internet. No one knows who was targeted. A DDoS attack is when a hacker sends so much traffic to a website or server that the server can’t handle and crashes under the amount of strain of the data. When the server crashes the hackers are able to take the information without any trouble. These attacks made headlines back in 2011 when Sony’s PlayStation Network went down. Hackers called Annonymous took millions of users’ personal data. The same hackers also attacked Visa, MasterCard and Paypal.

These attacks can be very powerful and are getting more serious with each attack. Last years attack by Spamhaus was considered the most powerful DDoS attack in history, which topped out at 300Gbps. February 10^th attack broke that record at 400Gbps. There are company’s out there that defend from DDoS attacks and if it weren’t for them we would have another Sony issue at hand. There might be a day when these attacks become harder to defend, and who knows what kind of data will be next to taken.

I don’t understand why people would want to do such a thing. Some have reported that these hackers want to take down big corporations and say how the corporations are unfair. What they are really doing is hurting regular people. They are taking credit card information and selling it to random people so they can then charge your accounts with random stuff. Hopefully this doesn’t turn into a way for people to troll the Internet by shutting down random websites or servers.

Posted in Crime, Science and Technology | Tagged attacks, ciber crime, DDoS, hackers | Comments Off

‘Snake Salvation’ Star Dead After Snake Bite

Posted on February 16, 2014 by jessicafsmith1002

Jamie Coots, one of the stars of National Geographic’s reality show Snake Salvation, died Saturday of a venomous snake bite. According to reports, Coots refused medical attention after being bitten in his Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro, Kentucky and died shortly after in his home. The show debuted last Fall centered on two Pentecostal preachers who handle deadly snakes as part of a century old Appalachian practice originating from a Bible passage that suggests those anointed by God will not be harmed by a poisonous snake bite. Coots had previously been bitten nine times and lost a finger to a rattlesnake bite.

Pastor Jamie Coots starred on Snake Salvation alongside Tennessee Pastor Andrew Hamblin, both of whom claim serpent handling is their First Amendment religious right. The pair have come under fire from authorities for hunting and collecting deadly snakes for their church services. Last year Coots pled guilty to illegally possessing and transporting three rattlesnakes and two copperheads in Tennessee after the state seized them in a traffic stop as he was driving them from Alabama to Kentucky.

With the first season fully filmed National Geographic had no plans for a second season of Snake Salvation, says a network rep. Now in the wake of Jamie Coots‘ death National Geographic is working up a special tribute episode “so people can understand Pastor Jamie Coots and his method of worship and see that he died doing what he believed was his calling.”

Personally, I think this guy was crazy for handling venomous snakes like that, but he truly believed he was safe from getting bit, so he was kind of in a trance. I just think it took long enough, and it was inevitable.

Posted in Entertainment, Environment, Odd News | Comments Off

NBA All-Star Game’s Impact on its Culture and Economy

Posted on February 16, 2014 by grichards

The National Basketball Association(NBA) has a 63 year-old tradition called “All-Star Weekend”. Each night (friday through Sunday) consist of various competitive skill challenges and three basketball games. One featuring the best first and second year players, the second is for celebrities and players from the WNBA(Women NBA) and the main event being the game between the NBA’s Eastern and Western conferences. I find it very cool that each team is selected by a fan ballot, while the reserves are chosen by a vote among the head coaches from each squad’s respective conference(Eastern or Western). Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players. If a selected player is injured and cannot participate, the NBA commissioner selects a replacement.

The initial objective of this tradition could have been to showcase a game between the best players for the fans and create positive exposure and revenue for the sport. However, it seems that this purpose has evolved over time into a gimmick to target multiple markets. Aside from the fast food commercials(the irony) and all kinds of commercials featuring NBA players, there is also perhaps the most influential market to the sport and that is the foot apparel market. NBA star players thrive on sneaker endorsements and the All-Star Weekend tradition has been a window for fans and sneaker fanatics alike to see some pretty flashy sneakers. This has been a growing trend for the past couple of years. As a fan I hope that the merging of target markets through advertising during All Star Weekend prevents the NBA from having to sell advertising through logos on jerseys like basketball leagues in different countries do.

Posted in Business, Entertainment, Sports | Comments Off

The Lego Movie is Making Money at the Box Office

Posted on February 16, 2014 by amanda decarlo

The weekend of Valentine’s day is coming to an end, so it wouldn’t be to presumptuous to assume that a romantic movie would garner the most amount of ticket sales. However, that is not the case. The Lego Movie, an animated feature, according to HuffingtonPost.com made an impressive 48.8 million dollars. Other contenders were About Last Night (27 million) and RoboCop (21.5 million).

This its second week, and many of those other movies mentioned are competing in their first. Other Romantic comedies such as Endless Love and Winter’s Tale premiered simultaneously with About Last Night and the competition could explain why all three still didn’t do as well. RoboCop probably didn’t do as well because it is difficult to execute a great remake of a classic film.

Perhaps the reason why The Lego Movie did so well could possibly be due to the fact that it is more a family movie those usually attract large audiences. Also, many single people and groups of friends might have gone to see it be cause of its nostalgic appeal and the fact that the movie is going to be purely comedic. Many generations grew up with Legos, and the lack of sexual overtones is good for people who don’t want to be reminded that they are single.

Essentially, The Lego Movie earned more money in the Box Office than its competitors. This probably means that there will be multiple sequels and merchandising will increase ten-fold. It will be interesting to see how well it does as it enters its third week in the Box Office.

Posted in Entertainment | Comments Off

My birthday has come around fast this year, just like every year. It always creeps up on you when you’re born early in the year. My birthday is this Wednesday, I am going to be twenty years old and I have to say that I’m pretty excited. I’m all about starting fresh and rejuvenating yourself every once in a while, that’s why I’m so into New Years. Well my twentieth birthday symbolizes two decades that I have been alive on this planet.

It’s crazy to think that I have gone through so many different phases of my life since I was ten years old to now. That decade was full of hormones, going through puberty in middle school, getting through all the drama and reckless times of high school, first heart breaks, college acceptances…the list goes on. To think of all that is going to happen this next decade from the year that I turn twenty till I turn thirty.

I will graduate college, have a career, travel around the world, most likely get married and have a child or two. Things that I can sit around thinking of for hours and yet still not be able to comprehend now during the selfish years of my life. I feel like i was born to live in my twenties and I cannot wait to see where life will take me and all the amazing experiences that are coming my way throughout these years. World, get ready, I’m almost twenty!

Posted on February 16, 2014 by bosimpson | Comments Off

Neknominate: New Viral Drinking Game Kills 4 People

Posted on February 16, 2014 by jumarshall17

The traditional game of “Truth or Dare” has taken to new heights in recent news. Truth or Dare has morphed into Neknominate, an online drinking game that is sweeping across the world, mainly affecting Europe. Originating in Australia, the object of the game is to dare each other to drink in unusual ways or stunts outdoing the person who nominated you. If a person denies the nomination, they will be ridiculed on a social media website such as Facebook or Twitter.

It recently went viral in Europe and sparked a craze where more people are partaking in the dangerous game, going as far as drinking urine in one instance. Four deaths have been reported as of yet, all male under age 30 originating from Great Britain and Ireland. A 19-year-old Irish man jumped off a bridge into a river after chugging a pint of beer. The other, a 22-year-old man died after consuming large amounts of alcohol for a suspected dare.

CNN reports that one 20-year-old British man tried to “outdo” previous competitors by drinking a lethal cocktail containing “a bottle of white wine, a small bottle of vodka, a quart of whiskey and a can of lager.” The other British man, a 29-year-old, died as a result of chugging a pint of vodka.

The dares are usually posted to Social Media networks where the nominee films his/her dare then proceeds to nominate another individual, thus becoming the nekonominator encouraging them to continue the chain. This new drinking game is currently being investigated by European agencies in order to confirm the cause of death in addition to the video evidence found in the 4 deaths of those men.

Posted in Odd News, World News | Comments Off

VERDICT: Michael Dunn Found Guilty Of 3 Counts Of Attempted 2nd-Degree Murder, Mistrial Declared On 1st-Degree Murder Charge

Posted on February 16, 2014 by rboniniv

On November 23, 2012, Michael Dunn pulled into a gas station in Jacksonville, parking next to a red Dodge Durango full of teenagers. The teens had pulled in for gum and cigarettes; Dunn, meanwhile, had just left his son’s wedding with his fiancee, who’d gone inside the convenience store for wine and chips. Dunn didn’t like the loud music coming from the teens’ SUV. So he asked them to turn it down.
What followed next depends on whom you believe. Dunn claimed Davis threatened him, and he decided to take matter into his own hands upon seeing what he thought was the barrel of a gun sticking out of the Durango. Attorneys for the state of Florida hammered Dunn throughout the trial for shooting into a car of unarmed teenagers because of his rage on Nov. 23, 2012, then leaving the scene without calling police.

Just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, closing arguments wrapped up in the trial of Michael Dunn for the murder of Jordan Davis. Judge Russell Healey sent jurors off to begin deliberations with lengthy instructions. The jury deliberated for three hours Wednesday night and are set to reconvene at 10:00 a.m. Thursday morning, according to reports. While everyone awaits a decision in the trial, here’s a recap of the case. To conclude that Davis’ killing was justifiable, the defense will have to have proved that Dunn was resisting an attempt by Davis to murder Dunn or commit a felony against him. If Dunn is found guilty, he faces up to life in prison.

A jury on Saturday night convicted a Florida man on four charges related to his shooting into an SUV full of teenagers during an argument over loud music, but could not decide on the most serious charge murder. Michael Dunn was found guilty on four charges, including three for attempted second-degree murder, which could land him behind bars for decades. Yet there was no verdict on the first-degree murder charge tied to the death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis.

Posted in Crime, Education, General, Odd News, Politics | Comments Off

10 Questions College Students Ask Themselves Daily

Posted on February 16, 2014 by ljthom

1. Why can’t I go to sleep before 2AM? The cycle casually starts when tweeting, texting, catching up on television shows around 10PM then, BAM its 3AM right before you have an exam five hours later. Which then leads to number 2…

2. Is there a quiz, test, or homework to turn in today for class? This allows for a college student to assess whether or not to go to class, study a few hours before, or stay warm in your comfy bed.

3. What time can I leave or wake up in order to walk into class right on time? Nobody wants to be the overachiever that shows up first to class to get the front row seat. That allows the professor to give you direct blaring eye contact. Scary.

4. Do I have money to go to (said concert, restaurant, bar, surrounding city)? Usually the answer to this question then comes with a sacrifice. Ex. If I go to the Miley Cyrus concert, then I can’t go out to eat at a restaurant with friends until my parents come in town. Which is direct with number 5…

5. When is the next (said break: spring, winter, summer) and where are we going? This question is usually asked a week into the beginning of the semester when you’re already overwhelmed with reading and homework.

6. Am I the only person on Facebook that isn’t getting married or having a baby? It is crazy how people grow up in the blink of an eye. I can barely manage to take care of myself, let alone worry about another human being!

7. What filter should I put on my Instagram picture that doesn’t make me look orange? This applies when uploading a picture with friends, going to the gym, throwback Thursday or a selfie Sunday.

8. Is this tweet inappropriate? Eh. Who cares?

9. Why is (said person, city, country, movie, television show) trending now? What?! Hey Arnold is on Nickelodeon right now?! Or, oh Kanye West is just cursing out the paparazzi again…

10. Most frequently asked question: Why am I going to college? Bill Gates didn’t and look how that worked out for him. If you’re a college student that doesn’t ask this question everyday, you’re lying to yourself. Of course we can ALL be the exception to the rules.

Posted in Education, Entertainment, General | Comments Off

Canadian Actress Ellen Page Comes Out as Homosexual

Posted on February 16, 2014 by kelly.karsch

While most people on Valentine’s Day might have been courting a significant other or moping around depressed with their lack of one, famous “Juno” actress Ellen Page came out to the world as gay during a highly emotional speech at the Human Rights Campaign. While most UCF students may brush this statement off and move on with their lives as if nothing has changed, Page has made quite an impact on Hollywood and society as a whole.

Luckily we live in a city where LGBT rights are constantly being fought for and prejudice and homophobia is actually quite rare (from my experience). However, when it comes to the rest of the United States, there are several states and locations that are still struggling with these views of acceptance. Kansas is considering passing a bill that would essentially allow discrimination based on someone’s sexual orientation. However, when people who are fans of actresses such as Ellen Page watch their favorite “X-Men” movie or play the video game “Beyond: Two Souls” in which she stars in, perhaps these people can think twice about their stance on the LGBT community.

Page even took the time to congratulate the recently outed NCAA football player Michael Sam, who is likely to be the first openly gay football player drafted into the NFL. Her powerful words spoke of being “tired of hiding” and “lying by omission”. She continues with stating “We deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise.”

When someone as highly respected as Ellen Page comes out, it really makes a difference in society’s stance. What I believe Page and many others are striving for is just plain acceptance from the world without any judgement or consequences for simply being who they are. The world is slowly being shaped that way, but we’ve got a long way to go unfortunately. I hope in my lifetime that statements such as Page’s don’t even reach the news anymore, simply because it’s so accepted as regular life.

Posted in Entertainment, General, Odd News | Tagged Ellen Page, Homosexuality, HRC, Juno, LGBT | Comments Off