MySpace admits losing 12 years’ worth of music uploads
Article via BBC
MySpace, one of the first online social networks, has apologised after a server migration caused a huge loss of data.
A message on its website says that “any photos, videos and audio files” uploaded more than three years ago may no longer be available.
There had been complaints going back several months that links to music were no longer working.
The platform has waned in popularity since it was founded in 2003 but in its prime it attracted millions of users.
In 2006 it was the most visited site in the US – beating Google.
It was a popular platform for sharing new music, and has been credited with helping to launch the careers of artists including the Arctic Monkeys and Kate Nash.
“As a result of a server migration project, any photos, videos, and audio files you uploaded more than three years ago may no longer be available on or from MySpace,” the firm said in a statement.
“We apologize for the inconvenience.”
It also included the email address of its data protection officer Dr Jana Jentzsch.
The BBC has contacted Dr Jentzsch for comment.
Andy Baio, who helped build the Kickstarter crowd-funding site, tweeted that the loss could amount to some 50 million tracks by 14 million artists over that period.
He also questioned whether the loss was accidental.
“Flagrant incompetence may be bad PR, but it still sounds better than ‘we can’t be bothered with the effort and cost of migrating and hosting 50 million old MP3s’.” he wrote.
MySpace was bought by NewsCorp in 2005 for $580m (£437m). It was sold in 2011 for $35m to ad targeting firm Specific Media.
While it is no longer a major player in the social media field, some people who used it in its prime still used it as an archive.
[Breaking] Seungri retires amid sex, drug, corruption scandal
Article via KoreaHerald
A series of allegations surrounding Seungri of Big Bang may have brought down his entire career, as the Korean pop star on Monday announced his retirement.
“I feel like it is best from me to retire from the entertainment business at this point,” Seungri said via his Instagram page, adding that the matter in which he was involved is so serious he had decided to retire. “I will sincerely submit to the investigation on this matter, and reveal truth to all the allegations.”
Seungri, 29, is currently under investigation for brokering prostitution for investors, and has been booked without physical detention by police. The investigation took off after a media report showed a group chat via a mobile messenger between the K-pop star and people who appear to be his employees, who were taking his orders to procure sexual favors.
Other allegations surrounding Seungri also include suspicion that frequent drug use occurred at Burning Sun, the nightclub where the singer had been an executive director, and that club officials have bribed police.
Seungri himself has been cleared of drug use via a recent drug test.
After allegations surfaced, Seungri announced he wanted to enlist for his mandatory military service on March 25. But police said the investigation will not be hindered by his status as a conscripted soldier.
National Police Agency Commissioner General Min Gap-ryong told reporters Monday that his officers would not quit on the investigations, and would seek cooperation from the Ministry of National Defense to get to the bottom of the case.
By Yoon Min-sik ([email protected])
Chance the Rapper marries longtime love Kirsten Corley
Article via FoxNews
Chance the Rapper married his childhood sweetheart, Kirsten Corley, this weekend — and shared a sweet story of how they met when he was just 9 years old.
The Grammy winner, 25, and Corley, tied the knot at the Cook County Clerk’s Office in December, The Chicago Tribune reported, but celebrated their nuptials at the Pelican Hill resort in Newport Beach, Calif., on Saturday.
Guests included fellow Chicago native Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and comedian Dave Chappelle.
A spy told E! News, “After the ceremony, Kim and Kanye hung out with Dave Chappelle on the lawn. They were all laughing together and having a great time. They posed for photos and Chance came over to chat. They congratulated him and gave him hugs. Kim and Kanye were offered some champagne. Kim passed but Kanye took a glass. Then they walked inside together for the reception. It looked like they were very happy to be there and to see their friend get married. They both never stopped smiling.”
Chance and Corey share 3-year-old daughter Kensli.
Chance proposed to Corley last Fourth of July at a family picnic.
Ahead of his wedding, Chance tweeted about how he and Corley first met at his mother’s office party as kids, where Corley and two pals performed Destiny’s Child’s “Independent Women, Part 1.”
“Now I’m locking eyes with the prettiest girl I ever seen in my almost-decade of life on earth … I really shouldn’t even say locked eyes cause really, I was just staring at her; as she and her girls were conquering this choreography,” he tweeted along with a sweet photo of Corley from the day they met.
Chance wrote that his parents pushed him to also start dancing, but he declined.
“This wasn’t the time or place,” he wrote. “Not just because it wasn’t my party, not because it was their moment to dance, not even cause I was nervous about dancing in front of folks. It’s cause I knew I was gonna marry that girl.”
“So I shook my head with anxiety, moved to the back of the crowd and never even introduced myself. 16 years later it’s happening this
is the time, and the place is my wedding,” he concluded. “I’m gonna dance with my wife because this is my destiny.”
Kim Jong-nam: Indonesian woman accused of murder freed- BBC News
An Indonesian woman accused of killing Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, has been freed after charges against her were dropped. Siti Aisyah had been accused of smearing a nerve agent on Mr Kim’s face at Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia in 2017.
Free pancakes! IHOP giving away freebies in annual Pancake Day fundraiser Tuesday
Article via USAToday
The pancakes are free at IHOP Tuesday, but the chain hopes customers will “flip it forward for kids.”
From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time Tuesday, International House of Pancakes has its 14th annual free pancake giveaway with participating restaurants giving away free short stacks of buttermilk pancakes. Some locations will have extended hours until 10 p.m.
The dine-in only deal is limited to one short stack per person while supplies last. Prices vary, but a short stack of three pancakes usually costs $5.79.
While in the past, the Glendale, California-based chain called the annual fundraiser promotion “National Pancake Day,” the March 12 event has a new name – “IHOP Free Pancake Day.”
But the mission of raising money to help children battling critical illnesses hasn’t changed.
“Every year we look forward to kicking off our IHOP Free Pancake Day – Flip it Forward for Kids campaign because it combines the two things we love most – pancakes and helping our communities,” Stephanie Peterson, company spokeswoman, said in a statement.
The fundraiser supports Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Shriners Hospitals for Children.
IHOP is taking donations in a few ways to reach a $4 million fundraising goal.
During Tuesday’s event, customers are encouraged to make donations, and it’s also the last day to show support by purchasing wall icons. For buying a $5 icon, get a coupon for $5 off a $10 or more purchase to use at participating restaurants.
Through the end of March, customers can make a cash contribution at restaurants or add a donation to charity partners on their tab.
And through April 14, $1 from the sale of the new “Oreo Oh My Goodness” pancake stack or breakfast combo will go towards the charities. The special pancake was created by 6-year-old Brody Simoncini, of Worcester, Massachusetts.
IHOP invited kids who were treated at a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital to submit their best pancake idea, the company said. Brody’s winning creation is a stack of two buttermilk pancakes with Oreo cookie pieces baked in and topped with cupcake icing, more cookie pieces and whipped topping.
Learn more at www.ihoppancakeday.com.
Another pancake freebie
Metro Diner has a pancake freebie of its own Tuesday.
The growing chain with nearly 70 locations nationwide says it is celebrating National Pancake Day on March 12 with a “free stack of six sweet and fluffy silver dollar pancakes for every child under the age of 12.”
No minimum purchase is required. Find locations at www.metrodiner.com.
New York to open tallest outdoor observation deck in Western Hemisphere
Article via CNN
(CNN) — New York will soon have “the edge” when it comes to magnificent outdoor observation decks. Already home to some of the most famous viewing spots in the world, the Big Apple is about to add another to its impressive collection.
Named Edge, the upcoming Hudson Yards observation deck is set to open next year, with incomparable views of the city skyline.
Standing at more than 1,100 feet, Edge will be the tallest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere and the fifth highest in the world.
After hopping on an elevator for 60 seconds, visitors will arrive at the 7,500-square-foot outdoor viewing area, which extends 65 feet from the 100th floor of the new 30 Hudson Yards tower and includes a glass floor, offering visitors a bird’s-eye view of the city.
Edge also holds a signature 10,000-square-foot restaurant as well as a bar and event space.
While a launch date hasn’t been announced as yet, group bookings are opened for the first quarter of 2020.
“Edge invites visitors to walk out into the sky and embrace unobstructed, panoramic views of New York City like never before,” says Jason Horkin, Executive Director of Hudson Yards Experiences.
“The name reflects both the unique structural design, which pierces the sky when observed from below, and the exhilarating feeling of being on the brink of something exceptional — exactly where you are on edge.” Once launched, Edge will stand taller than the observation deck at the Empire State Building, which is 1,050 feet above street level, as well as Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Center, 850 feet above street level.
The 30 Hudson Yards tower was designed by William Pedersen of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates as part of Manhattan’s newest neighborhood Hudson Yards.
Built over 28 acres of a working rail yard on Manhattan’s west side, Hudson Yards is the largest ever privately built real estate project in the US, with a cost of around $28 billion.
The complex will also include more than 100 shops and restaurants; The Shed, a cultural and performing arts venue and a public square and gardens.
The breakfast club interview with uncle ruckus
Prental Advisory STRONG LANGUAGE
Uncle Ruckus AKA Gary Anthony Williams gives an insightful interview with Charlemagne the God and the breakfast club. aaron mcgruder needs to bring back The Boondocks to Adult Swim. I have a uncle ruckus do you?
The Jonas Brothers Ate Bird Saliva And Cow Tongue To Keep The Band Together
Article via Delish
Since the Jonas Brothers ~officially~ reunited last week, we’ve been blessed with a sh*t-ton of appearances from Kevin, Joe, and Nick. As such, I’d like to interrupt your 6,343rd viewing of “Sucker” and direct your attention to this video from The Late Late Show. During James Corden’s Jonas Brothers week, the brothers played a round of “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts” and ate some prettyyy gross stuff to avoid hurting each other’s feelings/breaking up again before they got started.
I highly recommend watching the video in full, but in the meantime, here is a rundown of everything they did and didn’t eat. In a crucial twist, James Corden changed the rules so if one brother didn’t answer their question, all three had to eat the gross thing.
The things they ate…
Bird Saliva: Rather than have Nick admit who the most famous person who’s hit on him, all three brothers chugged bird saliva. It was nasty.
Three-Chili Pepper Smoothie: Again, the brothers drank this spicy shake in the name of love. Or rather, diplomacy: Joe was asked to rank *NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys, BTS, and One Direction in order from best to worst. If you were wondering who has the least tolerance for spicy, it’s 100 percent Joe. He CHUGGED some water after, then asked for milk. Meanwhile, Kevin seemed to enjoy it??
Cow Tongue and Pork Jelly: Sweet, sweet Kevin made the group eat this rather than say who would make a better father, Nick or Joe.
And the ones they passed on…
Beetle Marmalade Toast: Woof—Kevin picked buying DNCE’s album over Nick’s. ?
Bull Penis: Okay, you really gotta watch this bit. Instead of eating…penis…Nick ranked his four Jumangi co-stars from most to least likable. The Rock earned first place, mostly because he’s the biggest. Smart move, Nick.
Worm Spaghetti: Possibly the biggest burn of the night came at the hands of worm spaghetti. Joe picked traveling with Nick and “Pri,” as he called her, over Kevin and Danielle. Nope, not because of the kids—because if Nick and Priyanka are paying, “it’s gonna be amazing.” Honestly, fair.
Truthfully, even if the rest of 2019 sucks, at least we have these three back together.