Are you smart with your phone?
BuzzFeedBlue / Via youtube.com
Are you smart with your phone?
BuzzFeedBlue / Via youtube.com
Bad choices are coming. (Inspired by this Quora thread )
HBO
Bran has a pretty good head on his shoulders. Yeah, he probably shouldn't have climbed that tower. But if you unintentionally started a war every time you disobeyed your parents, people might think you are dumb too.
So, for an orphaned, paralyzed kid, he's actually doing pretty well, considering that he also has the burden of having Harry Potter-like powers, and no Hogwarts to show him how to deal with it.
Via dorkly.com
Sansa Stark the child may have been dumb, but Sansa Stark the young adult gets smart points for trusting no one, learning from her mistakes (Joffrey) and becoming a very convincing liar (pretending to love Joffrey, pretending that Petyr didn't murder Lysa).
Also, Sansa is alive, despite all the odds, which is more than some people can say.
According to Danny Brown .
Well, not forever. But he's been out on the road almost constantly for the past three years. Ahead of an insane show at this year's Bonnaroo, he talked about what he's learned about partying, friendship, and getting dressed along the way.
Photograph by David Brendan Hall for BuzzFeed
The Hobby Lobby case is expected to come down in the next few days. If the court rules against the business, there’s no clear next step for Republicans save for the election.
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry
Andrew Burton / Getty Images
WASHINGTON — The Obamacare contraceptive mandate for employer-based care has ignited conservative activism around the idea of religious freedom over the last few years. But with the Supreme Court expected to rule on the explosive Hobby Lobby case in the next few days, House Republicans say there's no real next step if the Supreme Court rules against Hobby Lobby.
Republicans have been united against it but for years now have been unsure as to how to move forward. Some have wanted to wait until the court decides, and others have said that the House needed to take a more aggressive stance and bring legislation to the floor.
The outcome of the Supreme Court case will depend on a number of variables, including how broadly the justices apply their ruling. But many Republicans say a court ruling is really their last, best hope at overturning the mandate.
"A lot of hope has been invested quite frankly in the court decision," said Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, an original co-sponsor of the bill to undo the mandate. "On specifics, what we do, I don't know. We've tried a number of ways, even on the last budget negotiations with the president to get him to at least have a delay of the HHS mandate until the court rules so it wouldn't put companies like Hobby Lobby in such a difficult ethical dilemma."
Fortenberry and others have tried to push the leadership to bring a bill to the floor, which they so far have not done. A similar Senate bill, introduced by Sen. Roy Blunt, failed as an amendment a few years ago — and Democrats in turn railed against Republicans, charging they wanted to allow bosses to make decisions about birth control for the women they employ. And how narrowly or broadly the court decides the case could have major implications for legal defenses based on the principle of religious freedom.
"We've exhausted legislative options although there were attempts to get delays to this in budgetary agreements," he said. "If they uphold it, I don't know if it comes back as a specific issue or it lends itself to this ongoing debate about Obamacare in general."
But even Rep. Michele Bachmann, who has long argued that the House should vote on the mandate, conceded that if Hobby Lobby loses the case, there's not a lot Congress can do except use the outcome in a pitch to voters in the 2014 and 2016 elections.
"I think it'll be an impetus for the elections in November because people recognize the overreach that the Obama administration made. They're violating people's constitutional rights, their sincerely held religious beliefs and their right to freedom of speech and expression," she said. "So I think we'll see a greater likelihood of the Democrats losing control of the Senate and I think it will be even more difficult in 2016 for the eventual Democratic nominee to be successful. Because the Democrat nominee would have to defend denying religious liberty rights, they would have to defend denying freedom of speech rights. That's a really tough sell with the American people."
Rep. John Fleming, a Republican doctor from Louisiana, said it would not be in the GOP's best interest to try to pass legislation, even if it's just a messaging bill, before the November election.
"We have such a divided Congress but if we get control of the Senate we get a significant ability to shape legislation that the president will have to sign or veto and I believe our leadership will move forward with this," he said. "In the lame duck, it's no more likely to pass then. If we take over the Senate it's a whole new ballgame."
Being gifted with a lack of grace has its ups and downs. Well, mostly downs.
My Damn Channel / Via unsaidpain.tumblr.com
Brittany Furlan / Via youtube.com
Tori Locklear / Via youtube.com
savageultralight / Via Thinkstock
“TURN DOWN FOR WHAT?” —Jesus Christ, probably
Bet you can guess what he’s doing often .
Sonically, the song is a little more upbeat than the dark, ambient songs of his 2013 album Kiss Land, but the lyrics don't stray too far from the singer's specialty: drugs, women, and drugs with women.
Via Republic Records
Kiss Land came out last September, so it's possible The Weeknd could be teasing music from a new project. As with most things the 24-year-old singer (née Abel Tesfaye) does, "Often" was dropped without much commentary.
Wow I’m so excited about developing new, healthier habits. (Read: Dear god just get me through this week.)
Reality: If the difference is that I used to not be hungry and now I am hungry, then yes.
FOX / Via monitamunez.tumblr.com
Reality: Bury me in donuts and let me eat my way to freedom.
Cartoon Network / Via thegiflibrary.tumblr.com
Reality: WHY WOULD I DRINK A LEAF I BARELY LIKE EATING LEAVES.
Universal Pictures / Via makemelaughgifs.tumblr.com
Reality: Do you know how much almond butter is? DO YOU KNOW?
Via reactiongifs.com
Memories of burning Hoobastank’s “The Reason” on to a summer mix CD.
"Burn" was the second single released from Usher’s blockbuster album, Confessions. The single quickly shot up to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, knocking off, funnily enough – his song “Yeah!” -- from the top spot.
The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight non-consecutive weeks.
"If I Ain't Got You" was the second single released from Alicia Keys’ second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July, 2004.
“Where are you to?”
What it normally means: Bum.
What it means in Wales: A good friend.
What it normally means: A chain of shops selling organic cosmetics.
What it means in Wales: Lovely.
Flickr: Pip / Flickr: pip / CC
What it normally means: "I will concentrate on what you are saying in a minute."
What it means in Wales: The standard response when asked to do anything, even when you intend to do it immediately.
NBC / pinterest.com
What it normally means: The noise that bees make.
What it means in Wales: Unpleasant.
Selecting beers by their labels is a fun and delicious hobby.
Odell Brewing Co. — Fort Collins, Colorado
odellbrewing.com / Via beerstreetjournal.com
Back For Forty Beer Co. — Gadsden, Alabama
backfortybeer.com / Via backfortybeer.com
Deschutes Brewery — Bend, Oregon
deschutesbrewery.com / Via deschutesbrewery.com
Rogue Ales & Spirits — Ashland, Oregon
This dog eats her veggies and you should too. h/t Boing Boing !
The more you kneaux.
The folks over at CineFix retold the iconic movie in form of a 16-bit video game. And it’s pretty awesome.
CineFix / Via youtube.com
CineFix / Via youtube.com
CineFix / Via youtube.com
CineFix / Via youtube.com
You’re going to want to put on some maternity pants for this one.
The New York State Attorney General’s lawsuit alleges Barclays mislead clients about protecting their dark high-frequency traders and “disproportionally” routed clients’ trades through its dark pools.
New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a civil suit Wednesday against Barclays that alleged the large British bank mislead investors about how it operated its "dark pool" — a stock-trading venue outside major exchanges — and about how it routed its clients' stock trades.
The suit alleges that Barclays "falsely represented that it routed client orders for securities to trading venues" and did not specifically favor its own dark pool. Instead, Schneiderman claims, Barclays put a "disproportionally" high percentage of clients to its dark pool. The suit also claimed that Barclays' marketing materials were "falsified" because they did not show how much frequency traders were using the firm's dark pool, Barclays LX. Barclays, according to the suit, told clients that less than 10% of the trading was "aggressive," and told a high frequency trading firm that it was actually 25%.
"Barclays grew its dark pool by telling investors they were diving into safe waters. According to the lawsuit, Barclays' dark pool was full of predators – there at Barclays' invitation," Schneiderman said in a statement.
Dark pools, technically known as "alternative trading systems," are venues for stock trading where prices for stocks are not publicly posted. One purpose for dark pools run by the large brokerages is to provide a venue where large clients like pension funds or hedge funds can make big trades.
A Barclays spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
The suit alleges that Barclays "secretly gave high frequency trading firms information and other advantages over other clients trading in the dark pool," including "detailed information regarding the structure and composition of its dark pool" that allowed those traders "to maximize the effectiveness of their aggressive trading strategies in the dark pool."
The civil suit uses New York's Martin Act, which gives the state wide berth to prosecute financial firms civilly for misrepresentations, even if they don't have the bad intent required for making a fraud claim. The law has allowed many New York attorneys general, most notably Eliot Spitzer, to go after Wall Street.
The complaint says the attorney general's investigation was aided by "a number of high-level former Barclays insiders."
Barclays' "dark pool" had the second largest share trading volume of any of the more than 40 dark pools that trade stocks in the U.S., with over 282 million shares traded in the week ending June 2, according to data collected by FINRA, the securities industry self-regulator. At times, it's been the largest dark pool in the country. Dark pools account for nearly 40% of all U.S. equities trading.
The increasingly fractured market structure for trading stocks has come under regulatory scrutiny, with the Justice Department investigating some high-speed traders. The Securities and Exchange Commission chair Mary Jo White said while announcing a set of market structure reforms in a speech earlier this month that she is "concerned by the lack of [transparency] in these dark venues." Schneiderman's office also has reportedly subpoenaed several high speed traders and requested information from some banks that run dark pools.
Everyday is your birthday when you live in sunny L.A.
Meaning, most of the year it is a cool 77 degrees with an occasional heatwave and a few days of heavy rain. Basically, it wins on all accounts.
Via Thinkstock
Looking at you, Hollywood Bowl.
Handout / Via Getty Images
Specifically, Mexican food. And more specifically, tacos.
Justin Abarca for BuzzFeed
Not that you go very often, but having beaches at your doorstep is a bonus not a lot of other major cities can offer.
Via Thinkstock
Just looking for someone to wander with down this road that we call liiiiiife.
ABC
Same-sex marriages began in Boulder County, Colorado, Wednesday even though the attorney general said they were in violation of court orders.