Are you a Virgin?

 

Here’s a pretty good reason NOT to upgrade to upper class the next time you fly with Virgin Atlantic – there’s every chance that your complimentary drinks could be ‘enhanced’ with an ice version of the airline’s fuzz-faced founding father Sir Richard Branson.

Yes, it’s your actual Richard Branson ice cube and high-end flyers can now have a couple of them dropped into their drinks in a move that will almost certainly deter passengers from dropping acid before they get on the plane if nothing else. Apparently the ice cubes were created by four skilled designers over a period of six weeks – and how lucky we all are to be able to enjoy their efforts.

Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive Steve Ridgway crowed: “While Richard would love to be able to sit and enjoy a drink with all of our passengers, his schedule means that it simply isn’t possible. Now he is able to join our guests “in spirit” on one of the upper class cabin’s first flights as they raise a toast to their trip and the exciting times ahead.”

We await Ryanair’s response – peanuts carved into the shape of Michael O’Leary? Only £11.99 a bag?

Waitrose going toe-to-toe with Tesco in new price pledge

 

Ask the average man/woman in the street what they think of Waitrose and you’ll get the same stock answer – “Weeuurgh, it’s so posh and pricey and the meat comes from unicorns and the custard is made from angel milk and you need a masters degree in feng shui before they let you in the door and the security guards all talk like Tony Blair and weeuurgh….”

But absolutely none of that is true, and Waitrose are at pains to prove that with a new branded price-match campaign, which they might have announced from inside a yurt. Or might not have. Anyway, the upshot is that they’re vowing to price-match Tesco on 7,000 branded grocery items and will make the supermarket chain one per cent cheaper than Sainsbury’s. Take THAT, Waitrose-haterz.

The John Lewis-owned offering has been the fastest-growing supermarket of the past three years, and launched an ‘Essentials’ range back in 2009 in an attempt to ‘reposition’ itself or something. Looks like you don’t need to be a personal friend of a peer of the realm now if you want to nip in and buy some organic artisan bread….

Pirate Bay–Gets Their Treasure

 

Don’t monkey with the Pirate Bay

Don’t monkey with the Pirate Bay. Days after Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Sky, Everything Everywhere and O2 were basically ordered block them, we’ve seen something of a Streisand Effect, with the site claiming 12 million more visitors than ever before.

A spokesperson for the site said that “the free advertising” from hundreds of news stories across UK media had dramatically boosted traffic to the site.

“Thanks to the High Court and the fact that the news was on the BBC, we had 12 million more visitors yesterday than we had ever had before,” the spokesperson said. “We should write a thank you note to the BPI (British Phonographic Industry).”

And then, as a thumb in the eye, they celebrated not with cake, but rather, publishing advice on how to get around the block: “As usual there are easy ways to circumvent the block. Use a VPN service to be anonymous and get an uncensored internet access, you should do this anyhow. Or use TOR, I2P or some other darknet with access to the internets. Change your DNS settings with OpenDNS. Or use Google’s DNS servers… We could go on…”.

If you squeeze one spot, two will emerge in its place, clearly. Not that this will stop the powers that be from trying to put an end to sites such as these.

The Pirate Bay adds: “Don’t forget that we can’t allow this shit to happen. Next time they’re coming for something else. And yes, there will be a next time if we don’t stop them. Write to your ISP and tell them to appeal the case. Write to your local MPs and tell them that this is not allowed. Make sure your voice is heard. Remember, we’re all the Pirate Bay, and we must stand united against the censorship from our opponents!”

Days after Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Sky, Everything Everywhere and O2 were basically ordered block them, we’ve seen something of a Streisand Effect, with the site claiming 12 million more visitors than ever before.

A spokesperson for the site said that “the free advertising” from hundreds of news stories across UK media had dramatically boosted traffic to the site.

“Thanks to the High Court and the fact that the news was on the BBC, we had 12 million more visitors yesterday than we had ever had before,” the spokesperson said. “We should write a thank you note to the BPI (British Phonographic Industry).”

And then, as a thumb in the eye, they celebrated not with cake, but rather, publishing advice on how to get around the block: “As usual there are easy ways to circumvent the block. Use a VPN service to be anonymous and get an uncensored internet access, you should do this anyhow. Or use TOR, I2P or some other darknet with access to the internets. Change your DNS settings with OpenDNS. Or use Google’s DNS servers… I could go on…”.

If you squeeze one spot, two will emerge in its place, clearly. Not that this will stop the powers that be from trying to put an end to sites such as these.

The Pirate Bay adds: “Don’t forget that we can’t allow this shit to happen. Next time they’re coming for something else. And yes, there will be a next time if we don’t stop them. Write to your ISP and tell them to appeal the case. Write to your local MPs and tell them that this is not allowed. Make sure your voice is heard. Remember, we’re all the Pirate Bay, and we must stand united against the censorship from our opponents!”

Should drive-texting become part of the test? Probably not

 

I wont not mince my words here – anyone who uses a mobile phone while driving is the worst kind of scum alive and should have their skin slowly removed with acid and replaced with empty salt and vinegar crisp packets. Too much? I don’t think so.

With that in mind, here’s a stunt that was pulled by some Belgians called Responsible Young Drivers. They got some poor sods who were supposedly taking their driving tests to have the experience enhanced with a ‘text while you drive’ test. It’s not pretty. Don’t text and drive kids, or your dick* might fall off. (*or female equivalent)

 

Point taken?