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07 Jan 00:41

The biggest space stories of 2014, in 11 images

by Joseph Stromberg

2014 was a pretty remarkable year in space news. We saw the long-awaited test flight of NASA's new crewed space capsule, a tragic private spaceflight accident, and the Philae probe make a historic landing on the comet 67P/G-C: the first-ever landing on a comet.

Here's a look back at 2014 in space, in 11 images.

1) The Kepler telescope finds hundreds of distant planets

kepler 186f

An illustration of Kepler-186f, a potentially habitable exoplanet discovered in April. (NASA-Ames/SETI Institute/JPL-CalTech)

Prior to 2014, scientists had confirmed the existence of about 1,000 exoplanets (planets that orbit other stars). But in a single announcement in February, scientists announced that using data from the Kepler telescope, they'd found an additional 715 new planets. Soon afterward, in April, astronomers announced that 500 light years away, they'd found a roughly Earth-sized one (illustration above) that might be the right temperature for liquid water.

These planets are mostly too far away for us to learn much more about, but over the next decade, a new generation of telescopes will search for closer planets and allow us to analyze their atmospheres. Some scientists think that within a generation, we may even be able to spot signs of distant alien life.

2) Scientists find gravitational waves. Or wait, maybe not.

Bicep2_sunset__bicep2

The BICEP2 telescope in Antarctica, used for the gravitational waves discovery. (Steffen Richter, Harvard University)

In March, a group of astrophysicists announced one of the biggest discoveries in the field in decades: using a telescope at the South Pole, they'd found evidence of gravitational waves in space. These would have confirmed a crucial part of the Big Bang theory — and solidified our understanding of the formation of the universe.

Except, as it turned out, the discovery was probably wrong. Subsequent work has shown that the signal originally detected was likely the effect of dust scattered throughout the galaxy. The debate hasn't been settled yet, but in all likelihood, scientists will have to keep searching for gravitational waves.

3) Tensions between the US and Russia reach the space station

space station

The International Space Station. (Photo by Paolo Nespoli - ESA/NASA via Getty Images)

In May, tensions between the US and Russia over the latter's invasion of Crimea threatened to affect the two countries' chief partnership: the International Space Station (ISS). In response to economic sanctions, Russia threatened to stop ferrying NASA astronauts to the ISS beginning in 2020.

Tensions have cooled slightly, and Russia has appeared to back off that threat, but it does expose a huge liability in NASA's crewed space program. After the retirement of the space shuttle, the agency put a plan in the works to hand off transport to the ISS to private companies, but delays have forced NASA to be entirely reliant on Russia for human transport. SpaceX and others are currently delivering cargo to the ISS, but they won't be ready to carry humans until 2017 at the earliest.

4) SpaceX's new Dragon V2 capsule debuts

spacex dragon

The Dragon V2 capsule, which SapceX hopes to use to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

Just weeks after the Russia news, however, SpaceX debuted its new Dragon V2 capsule — an upgraded version of its current space capsule that's capable of carrying humans.

Later, NASA formally announced that both the Dragon and Boeing's CST-100capsule were selected to go forward in the plan to transport astronauts to the ISS. If all goes as planned, that will begin in 2017.

5) The most detailed map yet of our place in the universe

laniakea

An illustration of the Laniakea supercluster, home to the Milky Way and hundreds of thousands of other galaxies. (Nature)

In September, scientists released a truly awe-inspiring map: one that shows our galaxy's place among hundreds of thousands of others, as part of a giant supercluster of galaxies called Laniakea.

The enormous structure is an estimated 500 million light years across, and is home to more than 100,000 galaxies. Each of these galaxies, meanwhile, contains billions or perhaps even trillions of stars. And our supercluster, the scientists found, borders another, similarly large one called Perseus-Pisces.

6) India's Mars Orbiter Mission reaches Mars

mars india

Mars, as photographed by India's Mars Orbiter Mission on September 30, 2014. (ISRO—AFP/Getty Images)

In September, India became the fourth country to successfully put a probe in orbit around Mars. This photo is one of the first it took upon entering orbit.

The craft is mainly a demonstration of technology, though it'll also conduct some analysis of the planet's atmosphere. But the fact that India's fledgling space program succeeded on its first attempted mission to Mars is pretty remarkable — the initial attempts by the US, Russia, and China all ended in failure.

7) Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crashes over California

virgin wreckage

Wreckage from the SpaceShipTwo crash. (Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)

In October, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo — a space plane that the company intends to use to carry tourists into low Earth orbitcrashed during a test flight in California, killing one pilot. The accident came just days after another private spaceflight disaster: the explosion of an uncrewed rocket, owned by the Orbital Sciences Corporation, which was heading to the International Space Station for a cargo resupply mission.

The cause of the Virgin accident still hasn't been fully determined, but it comes after experts had previously criticized the company's cavalier attitude towards safety. Still, Virgin says it will proceed with its plans to carry tourists into space.

8) Philae touches down on the comet 67P/C-G

philae eye view

(ESA)

In November, the European Space Agency's Philae because the first spacecraft ever to land on a comet. The composite panorama, above, shows the photos taken by Philae upon landing.

The landing didn't go exactly as planned — the lander actually took a series of large bounces because its harpoons didn't fire upon landing — but the mission was still a huge success. Data from both Philae and Rosetta (the spacecraft that brought it to the comet and is still orbiting it) have already provided new information about comets, which could help us better understand the formation of the solar system.

9) NASA tests its Orion capsule for the first time

orion capsule test

The Orion capsule, after its December 2014 test flight. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

In December, NASA carried out a successful test of its Orion capsule — a spacecraft that it hopes to use to carry astronauts into deep space. Plans are still uncertain, but NASA's stated goal for Orion is to eventually use it to put humans on Mars.

This first test, with an uncrewed capsule, was a success, with the craft making two orbits of the Earth, including one at an altitude of 3,600 miles. This is more than ten times higher up than the International Space Station, and farther away from Earth than any crewable craft has traveled since 1972.

10) Curiosity keeps finding evidence that Mars was once habitable

mars sedimentary

Layers of sedimentary rock in Gale Crater photographed by Curiosity, which serve as evidence of an ancient lakebed. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

In 2014, the Curiosity probe's big Mars discoveries kept coming. Most recently, in December, it discovered evidence of an ancient lakebed, as well as organic molecules and mysterious plumes of methane gas. Together, these findings and other data have many scientists convinced that Mars was once warmer and wetter than it is today — and perhaps even home to life.

In 2015, the rover will climb a giant mountain called Mount Sharp, sampling a succession of rock layers that will help us learn more about the planet's geologic and atmospheric history.

11) The space station orbits onward

sunrise

A timelapse from the ISS, showing aurora borealis and a sunrise. (European Space Agency)

It may not sound like the most dramatic news. But as Charles Fishman points out in an outstanding new feature in the Atlantic, the International Space Station has now been occupied for nearly 5,200 days since its 2009 completion. We don't pay it much attention, but as he writes, "in the past decade, America has become a truly, permanently spacefaring nation."

The ISS hasn't produced any huge scientific discoveries or technologies — mainly, it's an exercise in figuring out how humans can adapt to living in space. In March, astronaut Scott Kelly will head to the ISS for NASA's first ever year-long mission, twice as long as most astronauts spend in orbit. The surreal sunrise timelapse above, captured by the European Space Agency's Alexander Gerst, shows what astronauts spend much of their time on the ISS staring at: the Earth, spinning swiftly underneath them day and night.


30 Dec 02:49

Colleen Hoover, Hopeless

Bridget

this will probably be my last post of the year (!!!) and it seems like a very good sentiment going into a long new years weekend.



Colleen Hoover, Hopeless

30 Dec 02:43

Photo

Bridget

both the book and the movie really hold up and if anything are more interesting to read at different points in your life especially if you change your socio economic status during those times. it's a modern day animal farm









30 Dec 02:40

Francine Rivers, Bridge to Haven



Francine Rivers, Bridge to Haven

30 Dec 01:21

Post Mortem: The Graves of the Rich and Famous in Los Angeles Will Make Your Apartment Look Pathetic

by Simon Davis

According to a recent story in the New York Times, consumers in Los Angeles spent 118 percent more than the national average on funeral services from 2007-2012. However, one need not look to surveys by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to find evidence of mortuary largesse in the City of Angels. The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Southern California (FCASC) assembled a survey of the roughly 40 percent of LA funeral homes that made their price lists available, and it shows some fairly steep prices being charged for even basic services. For example: In funeral parlance, "direct cremation" consists of the bare minimum services of body transport, refrigeration/storage, cremation without a viewing, and ashes in a cardboard box.

According to the 2013 prices surveyed by the FCASC for Los Angeles, a direct cremation at the Alpha Society in Burbank costs a reasonable $695, while in Santa Monica it could set you back as much as $3,345. Many other establishments charge upwards of two grand. When I asked what is considered expensive, Funeral Consumers Alliance national executive director Josh Slocum advised, "For a direct cremation, anything over $1,000 or so is edging into unnecessary territory. $2,000 and higher gets into the unconscionable."

[body_image width='1500' height='1000' path='images/content-images/2014/12/22/' crop='images/content-images-crops/2014/12/22/' filename='los-angeles-graveyards-222-body-image-1419275748.jpg' id='13539']

Photos by Elizabeth T. Vazquez

Of course, it's not just LA residents on tight budgets who are being made to shell out cash as they try to do right by their loved ones. (Unclaimed bodies in LA county are a whole other story.) Expensive cemeteries are sometimes called "memorial parks." This euphemism—and the concept behind it—was coined in 1917 by Hubert Eaton, the then-general manager of the Forest Lawn cemeteries (there are seven Forest Lawn locations today in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, plus three in nearby Coachella Valley).

In a 1929 talk before a meeting of the Association of American Cemetery Superintendents, Eaton detailed his vision for a place where "the visitor rarely recognizes that he is entering into a so-called 'cemetery.'" One of the slogans (his word and emphasis) would be, "We shall depict life, not death." Consistent with his Christian beliefs, Eaton asserted that "the cemeteries of today are wrong because they depict an end, not a beginning" and that the "memorial instinct" driving his vision was the same one that brought the world the Pyramids and the Taj Mahal.

[body_image width='1500' height='1000' path='images/content-images/2014/12/22/' crop='images/content-images-crops/2014/12/22/' filename='los-angeles-graveyards-222-body-image-1419275734.jpg' id='13538']

Eaton's business savvy and the rise of the American film industry didn't hurt either, as his vision proved quite popular with Hollywood celebrities. According to a 2007 Forbes article, a "distinguished property" at Forest Lawn can cost up to $825,000. Court documents showed that Michael Jackson's crypt at the Glendale location was priced at $590,000. Forest Lawn cemeteries are not the only locations featuring extravagant final resting places. The Al Jolson Memorial Shrine at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City is perhaps the most grandiose celebrity grave in the country. The $84,000 price tag from 1951 works out to nearly $763,000 in today's money.

[body_image width='1500' height='1000' path='images/content-images/2014/12/22/' crop='images/content-images-crops/2014/12/22/' filename='los-angeles-graveyards-222-body-image-1419275204.jpg' id='13535']

While these luxury cemeteries have yet to qualify for UNESCO World Heritage Site status like the Taj Mahal, they do have one thing in common: tourists. Hard numbers are difficult to come by, but there are several sites devoted to providing information on visiting celebrity graves in the LA area. While one can certainly find famous people buried elsewhere, according to A.J. Marik, an LA resident and senior administrator of FindAGrave.com, "LA has far and beyond the most celebrity burials, especially in terms of the entertainment industry."

Cemeteries in Los Angeles have varying policies when it comes to dealing with tourists. According to one site that specializes in giving tips to celebrity grave visitors: "The friendly folks at Pierce Bros. Westwood Memorial Park, for example, will gladly point out a particular star's grave if you ask them, and at Hollywood Forever they will even give you a detailed map showing the locations of the stars' graves. On the other hand, those in charge of the Forest Lawn parks tend to discourage star-gazing, and they refuse to give out any information about the final resting places of the many celebrities buried there."

[body_image width='966' height='1500' path='images/content-images/2014/12/22/' crop='images/content-images-crops/2014/12/22/' filename='los-angeles-graveyards-222-body-image-1419275493.jpg' id='13536']

When I asked Marik—who is a huge cemetery aficionado himself—to suggest some noteworthy locations, he recommended both understated and lavish sites.

"Celebrity monuments in LA range from the incredibly ostentatious and expensive (Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, and especially Al Jolson) to modest and even discreet. Some of the true superstars with unassuming graves include Humphrey Bogart, W.C. Fields, and Errol Flynn."

Most of the aforementioned famous people (with the exception of Errol Flynn and Al Jolson) are located in areas of the Forest Lawn in Glendale that are accessible only to family members and not the general public. In effect, one might say that Forest Lawn has created gated communities for the dead. For those looking to avoid trespassing, Marik recommended the Freedom Mausoleum in the same location, which is "far less patrolled" and features some pretty big names like George Burns, Gracie Allen, and Nat King Cole.

[body_image width='1500' height='1000' path='images/content-images/2014/12/22/' crop='images/content-images-crops/2014/12/22/' filename='los-angeles-graveyards-222-body-image-1419275688.jpg' id='13537']

Of course, not everyone interested in graves is in it for the browsing. What's the pricing for more modest options at these well-known cemeteries? Marik advised that "the large, multi-section cemeteries are very expensive, although all of them have relatively fair pricing for those who might have difficulty footing the bill." How about for those who aren't as concerned about having their remains in the same graveyard as Hollywood royalty? He responded reassuringly, "Fortunately, there are hundreds of lesser-known, modestly priced cemeteries, each with their own history and charm (and price scale). A good example is the lovely Mountain View Cemetery in Pasadena. Modest and fairly priced, but in a beautiful setting close to the San Gabriel mountains. There are many other cemeteries much like it to be found throughout Southern California."

Follow Simon Davis on Twitter.

30 Dec 01:19

Could Estrogen Make Allergic Reactions Worse for Women?

by Kelly Faircloth

Could Estrogen Make Allergic Reactions Worse for Women?

Oh good, something else we can blame on estrogen: severe allergic reactions.

Read more...








30 Dec 01:19

It's So Damn Cold, So Let's Watch a Movie About Summer 

by Sarah Zhang
Bridget

i still haven't seen this and i need to because it's about my old job

It's So Damn Cold, So Let's Watch a Movie About Summer 

Swimming pools. Cotton candy. Roller coasters. Sunscreen. Summer seems like an infinity away on this dark, cold day, so indulge in some seasonal escapism and watch Adventureland, a lovely summer movie that features Jesse Eisenberg at his most adorkable and Kristen Stewart at her most bearable.

Read more...








30 Dec 00:36

for-the-love-of-lingerie: Edge O’Beyond ‘Naomi’ Bra



for-the-love-of-lingerie:

Edge O’Beyond ‘Naomi’ Bra

29 Dec 16:55

ausbluten: Devil’s flower mantis by Cathy Keifer/Shutterstock...



ausbluten:

Devil’s flower mantis by Cathy Keifer/Shutterstock
strange-looking mantis species

29 Dec 16:52

2014 was a surprisingly safe year for air travel

by German Lopez
Bridget

things that are nice to see before flying

Despite several high-profile plane crashes in 2014, the number of airline accidents actually continued to trend down.

Reddit user Mapquestify charted the trends using data from the Aviation Safety Network:

airline deaths chart

(Mapquestify)

It's not confirmed that the passengers in AirAsia flight QZ8501, which disappeared on December 29 over the Java Sea in Southeast Asia, are all dead. But if it holds up, the chart shows that the two airline accidents that got the most attention this year — AirAsia flight QZ8501 and Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared over the South China Sea on March 8 — were by far the deadliest. (The chart excludes Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 since its crash was the result of an attack, not an accident.)

But the chart also shows that 2014 wasn't a bad outlier in terms of accidents, aligning with reports from the Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, and Reuters that flying is actually getting safer overall.

Reuters and Business Insider reported:

If the Indonesian-registered aircraft is confirmed to have crashed, killing all on board, the accident would make 2014 the worst year for loss of life in civil aviation since 2005, when 1,014 people were killed in passenger accidents, according to the Netherlands-based Aviation Safety Network.

But the number of fatal accidents in 2014 would stand at only eight, if flight QZ8501 is included, compared with 24 in 2005. This would be the lowest in memory, reflecting the peculiar nature of this year’s disasters.

"Remarkably, 2014 has the lowest number for passenger flight accidents in modern aviation history," said Harro Ranter, founder and director of Aviation Safety Network, which runs an independent database.

29 Dec 16:44

Farewell to the Cat and Fiddle, Hollywood's Latest Gentrification Victim

by Lina Lecaro
Venerable Hollywood pub the Cat & Fiddle closed its doors for good last week. The cozy drinking establishment and restaurant had been one of Hollywood’s most iconic destinations for over 32 years, a favorite among locals, expats and entertainment industry folk for its charming patio and Anglophilic, wood-paneled interior.…

[ Read more ]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

29 Dec 16:34

Undercover Boss CEO Offers Implants; Fires Girl For Not Wearing Bikini

by Rebecca Rose

Undercover Boss stooped to depressing new lows on Sunday, airing an episode that featured a CEO offering a woman breast implants as a workplace incentive and firing another for refusing to wear a bikini top on camera.

Read more...








29 Dec 05:51

Diamond Skull Rings

Bridget

super tacky but weirdly beguiling

Diamond skull rings for the alternative crowd. For those who want to emphasize the 'Til death do us part part. For all the neurosurgeons and forensic anthropologists out there. Armed with a Metalsmithing degree from the Art Institute of Chicago, Adam Foster hand makes all of his precious metal skull rings and sets them with gemstones from his studio in St. Louis, MO. He uses only recycled metals and conflict-free or antique repurposed stones to promote social responsibility in addition to gothic decadence.

Foster's diamond skull ring designs typically come in the buyer's choice of white, yellow, or rose gold. His Etsy shop's diamonds range in number and size from a smattering at 0.25 carats total, to a single 0.75 carat emerald cut stone with 1mm round diamond accents on the native-inspired skulls in headdresses. Commissioned and custom pieces are also available upon request.

29 Dec 05:39

The 10 Most Notorious Paranormal Hoaxes in History

by Cheryl Eddy
Bridget

amityville ftw. mostly because my....uncle or second cousin (i have no idea how this shit works) arrested DeFeo and ANOTHER uncle was dating one of Lutze's brothers during the supposed haunting and nothing happened except plans to write a spooky book. STRONG ISLAND 4 LYFE godiwanttogetoutofhere

The 10 Most Notorious Paranormal Hoaxes in History

Some might argue that everything that passes for "paranormal" is a hoax. (There's no fun in that, but insist if you must.) But even the biggest unexplained-phenomenon junkies have to admit when a fraud's a fraud ... as the 10 cases below will attest.

Read more...


29 Dec 05:38

Ancient Rock Offers New Clues About Past Habitability of Mars

by Lisa Winter
Space
Photo credit: USGS/NASA

New analysis of a martian meteorite that fell to Earth 13,000 years ago has revealed clues about prior habitability on the red planet. The rock, which was recovered from Antarctica 30 years ago, originated on Mars 4 billion years ago, when water is believed to have covered the planet's surface. Understanding the chemical composition of the rock will help scientists determine if Mars could possibly have sustained life.

29 Dec 05:35

afrofilipino: awwww-cute: Family Christmas picture...



afrofilipino:

awwww-cute:

Family Christmas picture photobomb

those assholes ruined this dogs selfie

29 Dec 05:26

Kat Dennings and Chad Michael Murray Made a Movie Together (???)

by Kate Dries
Bridget

everyone is wearing beats in this

The story of how the non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms came into existence is now a movie of the same name "based on a true story" (the true story of how the non-profit organization To Write Love on Her Arms was created). It stars Kat Dennings as Renee Yohe, a young woman suffering from depression and addiction issues and Chad Michael Murray as Jamie Tworkowski, a young man who helps her find her way—through rave culture? A Sony movie, the film was leaked in November but will have its official release in 2015.

Read more...








29 Dec 05:05

Sky Watching Event Guide For 2015

by Lisa Winter
Bridget

someone needs to use their new telescope

Space
Photo credit: SHSPhotography / iStockphoto

Make a resolution in 2015 to head outside and check out some of the amazing celestial events that will be happening in the night sky. Whether you’re an experienced astronomer or just taking a look at the night sky for the first time, you’ll want to check out these events. Nearly all of these events can be seen with the naked eye, but can be better enjoyed with a telescope or a decent set of binoculars.

Unless otherwise noted, these events can be best seen from mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.

January 

29 Dec 05:01

Long Island's Littlest Beauty Queens

We know you're busy. You probably didn't have time to read every article we published on VICE.com this year. So we've compiled a list of some of our favorites, and will be re-featuring them on the homepage through the end of 2014. This one originally published on February 18th.

It's 10 AM on a Sunday morning, and I find myself on a train surrounded by 20-something-year-old men slugging 24-ounce cans of Heineken. I feel the weight of the hangover being experienced by two women in yesterday's makeup and leopard leggings a few seats over. To New Yorkers, this scenery is all too familiar: I am on the Long Island Rail Road­­, and it is not just a leisurely trip to the Island. I am here to attend the Little Miss Long Island pageant in Westbury. This is the kind of thing TLC and Bravo's dreams are made of.

"What is VICE?" asked founder and pageant director Debra Marra in her thick Long Island accent over the phone a few weeks earlier. I explained, but it still didn't ring a bell. Regardless, she was adamant and eager to explain that this is not the Long Island edition of Toddlers & Tiaras.

"Toddlers & Tiaras is obviously for TV," she said. "This is more of a local pageant. One girl­­—the winner­­—will get a contract with a modeling agency from one of the judges. We don't force the girls to spray-tan and wear fake hair. That's what I think would be the biggest difference. It's really up to the moms. I don't do bathing-suit competitions, as Toddlers & Tiaras does—I don't think that's appropriate to, you know, have the little girls walking around in bathing suits. I just don't like that feel to it. This is more or less their personality and natural beauty."

I enter the venue, Verdi's of Westbury, with an open mind, walking past the art deco sculptures, mirrored walls that line the hallways, and into the room where the pageant is held. The DJ, a friendly, tan, middle-aged man, is blasting Top 40 radio hits; ­­"Blurred Lines" comes on as a slew of young contestants giggle and gather on the dance floor. I skim the vendor tables—­­pageant wear, lip gloss, Tupperware, among others—­­before heading downstairs to meet with the contestants before the judging begins. "Come & Get It" by Selena Gomez is playing as I make my exit.

"Maliyah has been doing this since she was six months," explains pageant mom Susan Snyder. "There isn't no training. Just stick a binky in her mouth and put her on stage!" At two years old it would seem that Maliyah is already a veteran pageant queen, but this is not the case for everyone. Let it be known that age is not an indicator of experience level on the Long Island pageant circuit. For the oldest contestant (as in eight years old), Gianna Aliani, this was her very pageant. "I've been begging them to let me do this," she gushes, while her aunt explains she's a busy young girl with other activities and sports.

Around 12:30 the pageant begins, and the lunch, an assortment of pasta and chicken dishes, is served. "Meet Brooke, she is one year old and her favorite subject is nap time!" exclaims the DJ turned host to the tune of "Happy" by Pharrell Williams as Brooke blows kisses to the judges. A few moments later, a teenager across from me picks up one of the red-dressed pageant queen centerpieces­­ and says, "WHAT THE HELL? Whoever painted this did a really shitty job." While seated completely at ease with a group of strangers, it's as if somehow Marra created a pageant atmosphere that feels similar to a family meal with your lovable, boisterous, imaginary Italian family.

It's at this moment I can understand Marra's point about the intentions and portrayal of her beauty pageant. It would be impossible to ignore the countless, unavoidable gender stereotypes that come with the territory of pageantry. Having spent nearly six hours with this group of Long Islanders, it's clear that this is a local event with a group of contestants who, for the most part, take themselves seriously but not too seriously. There is an unspoken tension and competitive energy to the event, but the overall vibe is upbeat and encouraging­­—the mothers unanimously claim they will no longer take part in the pageants once their children stop having fun.

The day carries on as expected, with no shortage of hair spray, sweat, tears, or backflips. After showing off their Valentine's Day wear, evening wear, and special talents, the judges add up the scores to determine who will become Little Miss Long Island. When asked what it takes to be Little Miss Long Island, judge Anna Mauro explains it's all about the "talent, originality, smiles, and the hair." After a half hour of deliberation over cake and coffee, it's time to announce the winner—and the ten other finalists, because today everyone is going back to their homes a winner. One by one, the contestants collect their crowns and trophies, smiling proudly from ear to ear. There could only be one Little Miss Long Island, and today that was Brooke Esposito, the adorable one-year-old whose favorite subject is nap time. The judges place the crown on Brooke's tiny head, which is about half the size of her body, and the $250 cash prize is placed across her lap­­. The audience laughs, and Brooke ends up in tears.

In an instant, the girls return to their normal lives. Instead of singing and dancing for the judges, they are rolling on the floor and playing hide-and-seek. There is disappointment in the eyes of a few girls who took it more seriously than most, but all in all, the contestants are happy and overjoyed with their crowns. I overhear Brooke's mother and one of the judges, an owner of Prestige modeling and acting agency, talking about their plans to discuss Brooke's contract and future. Who knows, this Little Miss Long Island could very well be the next Miley Cyrus—­­just remember, you saw it here first.

Amy Lombard is an NYC-based photographer. Follow her on Twitter.

29 Dec 05:00

LAURIE LIPTON’s ‘Lachrymose Lace’, 2011....



LAURIE LIPTON’s ‘Lachrymose Lace’, 2011. Charcoal & pencil on paper, 57 x 40.2 cm in #beautifulbizarre Issue 007
Get your copy: http://beautifulbizarre.net/shop/stockists/ | http://beautifulbizarre.net/shop/

29 Dec 04:56

Video: Drone Operators Fly Through Skid Row And Get Themselves In A Little Trouble

by Carman Tse
Bridget

way scarier than sharks in the canals ethan. i also just love the stark contrast of our various neighborhoods.

Video: Drone Operators Fly Through Skid Row And Get Themselves In A Little Trouble "You just can't go into a neighborhood, or let alone a block, and just start filming." [ more › ]






29 Dec 04:50

HANDIEDAN’s digital collage ‘Cosmos No. 1’ -...



HANDIEDAN’s digital collage ‘Cosmos No. 1’ - part of the 46 page ‘Blanc Noir’ special feature in #beautifulbizarre Issue 007 Get your copy: http://beautifulbizarre.net/shop/stockists/ | http://beautifulbizarre.net/shop/

29 Dec 04:32

Our 20 Most Popular Stories In 2014

by Emma G. Gallegos
Bridget

i'd forgotten about sharks in the canals

Our 20 Most Popular Stories In 2014 It's nearly 2015, which means it's time to play the hits. [ more › ]






29 Dec 04:27

discoverynews: Hummingbirds Use Their Beaks as Weapons New...

Bridget

i think the fact they are warriors makes them 100x more fantastic



discoverynews:

Hummingbirds Use Their Beaks as Weapons

New information about hummingbirds may leave them in need of PR representation in order to reclaim their image as sweet little pacifistic flappers sampling flower nectar.

A study published recently in the journal Behavioral Ecology found that male long-billed hermit hummingbirds, tropical natives of Costa Rica, use their beaks as weapons to stab each other in the throat in the mating game, lending new insight into the evolution of the birds.

29 Dec 04:23

Bodies Meet Code In This Cool Dance Performance - OoOoh

by Alanna Bennett

This performance is brought to you by Adrien M/Claire B, a French dance company that according to Wired specializes in “cutting-edge physical-digital performance.” This one is called “Pixel” and looks pretty darn cool.

(via Wired)

Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?

29 Dec 04:17

Photo

Bridget

is this nick cave telling off the singer from smashing pumpkins?













29 Dec 04:16

robopigeon: Museum of Death The Museum of Death is a self...

Bridget

i never noticed how pretty the entrance was



robopigeon:

Museum of Death

The Museum of Death is a self guided tour, lasting approximately 45 minutes to an hour, but those who can stomach it may stay as long as they’d like. At $15 a ticket (with free parking), you can enjoy an entire section dedicated to Charles Manson, the severed head of serial killer Henri Landru, original crime scene photos from the Black Dahlia murder and much much more. This place is a serious trip. There’s nothing else like it. Go.

Address: 6031 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA

29 Dec 03:08

Almost

28 Dec 22:27

​Goat Eating Peanut Butter Is the Most Mesmerizing Thing You'll See

by Isha Aran
Bridget

i'm not even going to watch this before reposting it because goat+pb

Dogs eating peanut butter? Meh. Cats eating peanut butter? Kinda silly but not all that remarkable. A goat eating peanut butter? Absolutely captivating.

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28 Dec 22:26

jeffrey-lebowski: (via Tumbling)