Speaking at an event at COP27, Boris Johnson found a way to squeeze in a mention of the chaos in British politics in a talk on climate change. To quote:
Temperatures in London this July reached 40 degrees, which is unprecedented and almost unbearable by United Kingdom standards – perhaps even contributing, who knows, to unexpected political turmoil that we saw in Westminster at that time.
A new campaign from dating app Plenty of Fish aims “to make dating better and more welcoming, encourages men to send better dick pics”. To quote from the press release:
Fifty-six percent of singles dating today report that they've received unsolicited nudes, even though they find them disrespectful and offensive. Fifty percent of men say they believe sending nudes means they will receive sexual pictures in return, highlighting a major disconnect among daters today. By replacing the dicks that women don't want to view with photos of men named Dick, the campaign aims to educate and remind singles that unsolicited nudes are never ok. As a nod to this disconnect, 'The Gallery of Dick Pics' microsite is arranged featuring groups of hairy Dicks, big Dicks, and more.
Such is the world of art. To quote from an AFP/ France24 report:
Art experts in the Netherlands unveiled an oil sketch on Thursday by the famous Dutch master Rembrandt after it languished for a century in a forgotten corner of a museum, believed to be an imitation.
"The Raising of the Cross" oil sketch from the 1640s was long thought to have been the work of a follower of the 17th century master, known for his famous works like "The Night Watch" and "The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp".
But now the Bredius museum in The Hague, where the sketch has been on display since it was bought in 1921, has revealed, thanks to new scientific techniques, it was in fact painted by Rembrandt.
Excerpts from a report in The Guardian:
In the clearest sign yet of aviation’s changing culture, the Virgin Atlantic owner Sir Richard Branson has said he will almost certainly no longer be “turning girls upside down”, signalling an end to a long-established fixture of the airline’s flight promotion.
Branson’s last believed public inversion of a female model, wearing a bikini and Russian hat, was in 2012 to promote planned flights to Moscow. By 2014, he was already raising his own kilt in Edinburgh at the launch of an ill-fated domestic Virgin airline offshoot, Little Red.
He said: “You just adapt with the times. And I might soon be getting to an age where I might pull a disc.”
Branson stressed that he was still in good physical shape, having just climbed Mount Kenya, adding: “I can still turn girls upside down. But times have moved on.”
From Canada: creative agency Zulu Alpha Kilo follows up on its ‘Awards Gone Wild’ from last year with another darkly funny short that takes aim at the advertising industry’s infatuation with awards.
From Israel: the term ‘killer app’ takes on a whole new meaning in this 3 minute commercial for online shopping startup Karma.
House of Sillage is described by its founder as “an haute parfumerie dedicated to maintaining and surpassing the true definitions of luxury” or in plain English as “a niche luxury fragrance company”. It’s launched a limited edition collection dubbed The Batman X House of Sillage Collection that, at first, I assumed to be for wealthy fanboys of The Dark Knight. But then I noticed that despite the “limited edition” tag, the individual items were being offered at a 35-50% discount and even an interest-free instalment plan. I also noticed that apart from a couple of fragrances and a candle, the collection includes a lipstick case set.
From the product description of The Batman Hero Fragrance:
Discover the olfactory journey through Gotham City with the theatrical limited-edition fragrance of The Batman by House of Sillage, where endless adventure and thrill come to life.
The Batman x House of Sillage Theatrical Limited-Edition “Hero” Fragrance was created to capture the olfactory sensorial experience of Gotham City.
Urban, environmental, and mysterious.
From the product description of The Batman Vengeance Fragrance:
The Batman x House of Sillage Theatrical Limited-Edition “Vengeance” Fragrance was created to capture the crisp Oud olfactory sensorial experience of the Batman’s vendetta for Gotham’s justice.
And this is how the website explains the use of vetiver as one of the elements of the fragrance:
Evoches the perfcet smockiness of Gotham City (sic).
Finally, this, from the product description of The Batman Bow Lipstick Case:
The Batman x House of Sillage Theatrical Limited-Edition Lipstick Bow Case was inspired by the power and elegance of the iconic bow. A timeless accessory that has transcended time by acknowledging the classic beauty of the past while paving the future for limitless opportunities.
This unapologetically bold and quintessential lipstick bow case is humble, esteemed and respected, just as our dark knight in “The Batman”.
That’s how a SoraNews24 report is describing the actions of a 28-year-old male school teacher who bought a pack of condoms at a convenience store, and then asked the clerk for permission to use the restroom to jerk off.
That was the essence of a new promotion by easyJet Holidays this week, that sold out the day it was announced.
To quote from a report:
The budget airline and travel company launched the month-long trip to Hurghada, Egypt, with much fanfare on 24 October.
With departures from early January costing £650 per person on an all-inclusive basis, easyJet Holidays said it could “confirm that yes, comparably, our new 28-day winter escape is cheaper than staying at home this year” due to soaring energy bills and inflation rates.
The package includes all accommodation and taxes at Stella Gardens Resort Hurghada, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks, drinking water, wifi, flights and airport transfers, plus a 23kg hold bag per person.
Holidaymakers were clearly enticed by the low-cost deal, with the “Escape The UK Package” completely selling out on the day of release.
From New Zealand: a new spot for not-for-profit health insurer Southern Cross features vignettes of leadership, team spirit, and a heart-warming rendition of a Neil Diamond classic.
Excerpts from a Business Traveller report:
Virgin Australia has launched a new initiative to entice customers to book middle seats on its aircraft.
The airline’s ‘Middle Seat Lottery’ gives those sat in middle seats on Virgin Australia-operated domestic flights the chance to win one of 26 prizes, which add up to a value of more than US$230,000.
The lottery will run until April 23, 2023, with a winner randomly selected every week and notified by email.
To mark the launch Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka surprised each guest in a middle seat on flight VA219 from Melbourne to Adelaide on Monday with a Virgin Voyages sailing trip valued at up to US$5,999.
The results of a poll, as tweeted by market research consultancy Savanta ComRes:
A couple of darkly funny spots for fast casual restaurant chain Dave’s Hot Chicken.
Excerpts from a news report out of Iowa:
On October 15th, Dubuque Police were dispatched to the 900 block of Rhomberg Avenue for a report of a car accident.
Officers arrived on scene to find a 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan belonging to 42-year-old Joanna Hanson had struck a 2016 Kia Sorento, causing $7000 worth of damage.
Hanson reportedly fled the scene before officers arrived.
She was later located and questioned by police. Hanson reportedly advised officers that she intentionally caused the accident in an attempt to get human traffickers to come take her, and that she had “back up” in the area that was waiting to save her after she was taken. She then advised that after her “back up” didn’t show, she got scared and fled the area.
As reported on the Sneaker Freaker website:
Sneaker customiser and The Shoe Surgeon SRGN Academy alumni Marcus Floyd is making literal ‘Horse Kicks’ – yes, sneakers for horses.
Floyd has reworked popular models, including the Air Jordan 1, New Balance 650 and Yeezy BOOST 350 V2, for equestrian use, using deconstruction and reconstruction techniques studied at the SRGN Academy. These sneakers’ familiar silhouettes have been retained while also meeting the unique ergonomics of horse hooves.
Self-explanatory, assuming you’ve been following the lettuce developments (pardon that weak attempt at punning).
Lettuce at 58p – a good buy
Liz Truss at Number 10 – a goodbye
— @LidlGB (@LidlGB) October 20, 2022
Another day, another newsworthy development in the New Zealand Bird of the Year contest. The organisers have posted a letter that they received, calling upon them to include a certain extinct bird as a candidate failing which the petitioner threatened “a class action on behalf of all the extinct birds of New Zealand, which will allege discrimination on the basis of conservation status.”
