Living in San Francisco, you encounter plenty of vegetarians, vegans, and a surprising number of sympathizers who would happily join those tribes if not for one meat in particular. “I’m pretty much a vegan,” a friend told me years ago, “but I’m bacon-curious.”
Ah yes: bacon curiosity, that scourge of the no-meat lifestyle. We know pigs are intelligent; we know they’re mistreated and contaminated in slaughterhouses; we know that not eating animals is one of the top things we can do to mitigate climate change. We also know most processed bacon contains dangerous amounts of carcinogenic nitrates. But those crunchy, fatty strips are just so damned versatile: there’s no sandwich, no salad, no breakfast plate that bacon cannot improve. It’s even annoyingly tasty in chocolate. Nearly $5 billion of bacon was sold in the U.S. last year, up $200 million on the year before. Read more…
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The Kenny Powers of tech execs, Steve Ballmer, busted out his signature buck wild energy at the most boring of sporting events: the press conference.
Ballmer, the former Microsoft CEO and current Los Angeles Clippers NBA team owner, is extremely, voice-crackingly stoked about some of his team’s new players. In July, the Clippers acquired NBA all-stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is particular cause for celebration, having led the Toronto Raptors to capture the NBA Championship this year against the Golden State Warriors.
At a press conference introducing the team’s new stars, Ballmer went off book, straying from his scripted remarks to emit a “WOOOOoooo000!” reminiscent of his wild Microsoft product debut days. Read more…
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This article contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 3 of Hulu’s Harlots.
Looking back, it shouldn’t have been that surprising. All of the meta-clues were there.
Jessica Brown Findlay, best known for playing Lady Sybil on Downton Abbey, was an inspired casting choice for the dashing, daring lead role on Harlots, but Sybil’s most memorable Downton story arc was her surprising and untimely death in Season 3. The second clue was Alfie Allen’s appearance as an antagonist in this season of Harlots, fresh off his final episodes as Theon Greyjoy in notorious character-culler Game of Thrones.
What happens when you add a dash of Thrones to the already deadly underworld of Georgian London? A shocking early season twist that leaves Findlay’s Charlotte Wells dead in the foyer in Golden Square, helplessly bleeding out after a horrifying semi-accident involving Allen’s Isaac Pincher at the top of the stairs. At least Lady Sybil made it to Episode 5 of Downton Season 3. Charlotte only made it to Harlots Episode 3. Read more…
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Facebook was just slapped with a record-breaking fine for privacy violations, but its regulatory headaches are far from over.
The company disclosed Wednesday that it’s also facing an antitrust investigation from the Federal Trade Commission. The disclosure came amid Facebook’s second quarter earnings report, which landed just hours after details of its $5 billion settlement with the FTC were revealed.
SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Facebook’s deal with the FTC
“In June 2019, we were informed by the FTC that it had opened an antitrust investigation of our company,” the company said in a statement. That marks the second federal antitrust probe into the social media company. The Department of Justice is also conducting an antitrust review of several major tech companies. Read more…
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Ah, summer. It’s the perfect time for many exciting and nostalgia-driven pastimesPool parties, BBQs, beach trips — fun!
What’s not so fun? Being sweaty. And, you guessed it, summer is prime time for sweating through your clothes and subsequently looking atrocious in any and all cute photo opportunities. (Pro tip: Avoid gray shirts or prepare for new and unplanned designs on your top.)
That’s why it is monumentally important to have an air conditioning unit that will, at the very least, keep you comfortable at home while the humidity wreaks havoc upon the rest of the outside world. But, powerful ACs present a not-so-itty-bitty problem that many of us rarely consider: Their effect on our environment. Read more…
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IMAGE: AJ Madison
BEST OVERALL
LG Art Cool Mirror
Packed with plenty of high-end features and energy-savings functions, it’s a hard one to beat.
Type: Wall-Mounted
BTU: 12,000
Energy Star Certified: Yes
$669 from AJ Madison
IMAGE: Amazon
BEST FOR SMALL SPACES
Evapolar EvaLight Personal Air Cooler
Put it near your desk or in your office to keep you cool while you work, or position yourself in front of it while you play video games.
Type: Portable
BTU: N/A
Energy Star Certified: No
$129 from Amazon
IMAGE: Home Depot
BEST SMART CONTROLS
Frigidaire Cool Connect
Use the Frigidaire app to control the device from anywhere and thus conserve energy consumption.
Type: Window
BTU: 6,000
Energy Star Certified: Yes
$279 from Home Depot
IMAGE: LG Electronics
BEST WINDOW UNIT
LG LW1817IVSM
This is one of the best window units you can get — although it’s pricey, the smart features, unique modes, and energy savings make it a worthy purchase.
Type: Window
BTU: 18,000
Energy Star Certified: Yes
$609.99 from LG Electronics
IMAGE: Amazon
BEST PORTABLE UNIT WITH A DEHUMIDIFIER
Honeywell MN12CES
A good option for those looking for a portable AC unit and the dehumidifying function is a nice touch.
Type: Portable
BTU: 12,000
Energy Star Certified: Yes
$499 from Amazon
IMAGE: Amazon
BEST FOR A LOW BUDGET
Whirlpool Energy Star
A great budget option that still includes helpful, eco-friendly features.
Type: Window
BTU: 6,000
Energy Star Certified: Yes
$208.30 from Amazon
IMAGE: Amazon
BEST YEAR-ROUND CLIMATE CONTROL
NewAir 14100H
Thanks to the built-in heater, this AC unit can be useful throughout the entire year.
Type: Portable
BTU: 14,000
Energy Star Certified: Yes
$541.99 from Amazon
IMAGE: Amazon
HIGHEST RATED ON AMAZON
Whynter ARC-14S
Online reviewers love this machine for its speed and dependability.
Type: Portable
BTU: 14,000
Energy Star Certified: Yes
$469.99 from Amazon
IMAGE: Amazon
BEST BUNDLE
Pioneer Mini Split AC with Heat Pump
This comprehensive AC bundle practically pays for itself with its year-round value and energy-saving attributes.
Type: Wall-Mounted
BTU: 12,000
Energy Star Certified: Yes
$740.73 from Amazon
IMAGE: Amazon
BEST VALUE
Tosot Window Air Conditioner
The device will even regulate the temperature based on how hot or cold the environment is around the included controller.
There is one, and only one, thing in this world that is unequivocally true: This baby flamingo deserves everyone’s support.
Flamingos often stand on one leg, a habit researchers think arose because it allows the birds to expend less muscular energy while they’re stationary. So it’s important that young flamingos learn to do this at an early age, and it’s even more important that we cheer for this very soft-looking flamingo chick as it practices.
SEE ALSO: Audubon Society announces 2019 bird photography award winners
You can clap, you can scream, you can shout “good hustle” like an overbearing parent at a seventh grade B-team volleyball game. Just do something. Read more…
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Oof. Yikes. A new copypasta has everyone softblocking problematic villains from well known stories, all in the name of the meme.
Urban Dictionary defines softblocking as “A phrase often used by Twitter users to describe the blocking of another person, then immediate unblock.”
Essentially, it forces the blocked party to unknowingly unfollow the user so they stop interacting with the user’s tweets.
It’s a passive-aggressive — but drama-skirting — way to get someone out of your social sphere. When Twitter users find out that someone has been problematic — whether it’s a terrible take they had on a marginalized group or allegations of sexual harassment — they’ll softblock the person to gently remove them from their online social lives. Read more…
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So we all know FaceApp is sketchy. But uniquely sketchy? Not so fast.
Years after its rocky and arguably racist start, FaceApp once again jumped to viral fame this month before users pointed out the selfie-filter app had a questionable privacy policy. People were shocked (shocked!) that the app, among other unsettling practices, gathered location data.
While there’s something decidedly unpleasant about realizing only too late that the app on your phone is too invasive for your liking, here’s the thing: Pretty much all popular free apps are invasive to some degree. In fact, many of the free applications you likely have on your smartphone have privacy policies that make FaceApp’s look good. Read more…
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When a young model tried to shine a light on a predatory photographer’s slimy work ethic, Instagram took down her post because it was considered “bullying.”
Celebrity photographer Marcus Hyde is known for shooting icons like Kim Kardashian and Ariana Grande. He posted a call for models on his Instagram story days ago, accompanied by a photo of a woman in a wet bodysuit and stars over her genitals and nipples. Sunnaya, an LA-based model and interior design student, responded to his story in hopes of posing for Hyde.
In response, he messaged her back with “Nude?”
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A post shared by Sunnaya (@sunnnaya) on Read more…
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