HYROX athlete who sparked outrage by continuing after soiling herself mid-race wins on return - after apologising and revealing 'traumatic' abuse
The HYROX athlete who sparked outrage for choosing to continue competing despite soiling herself mid-race has returned with victory in the first event of the new season in Hamburg.
Recycling ANSI Art: Tracing the Origins of BBS Logon Screens
BBS-era "door" games are preserved by the site Break Into Chat, along with their history. Now the site's actually traced the origins of several ANSI art screens in the 1980s and "how different people later transformed the original images," starting from one of the most popular bulletin board systems in St. Louis, Missouri.
Slashdot reader Kirkman14 writes:
"Fire Escape" was curator of the authoritative list of bulletin board systems in St. Louis's area code and sysop of the area's most popular board. Like many sysops of that time, Fire Escape enlivened her bulletin board by finding and repurposing older ANSI art. Eventually her BBS had 18 different logon screens in its rotation, many of which featured flames or mushroom clouds or made liberal use of red and yellow.
Break Into Chat follows the trail:
Some, maybe even most, of Fire Escape's logon screens had actually been adapted from old school "public domain" ANSI art drawn in the late 1980s and early 1990s by folks such as Michael C. Ling, Lora Ruffner (aka "Ebony Eyes") and Violet Stymacks.... Stymacks was unusually generous with her ANSI art. When she first began drawing, she combed through Fidonet node lists looking for bulletin boards with interesting or inspiring names. When she found one, she would draw an ANSI screen that fit the board's theme, then send it to the sysop. Eventually, sysops began seeking her out, too. By late 1990, she claimed that 500 bulletin boards were using her screens. Three years later, that total had tripled, according to Boardwatch . I believe it — I have located more than 1,100 of her pieces so far. She was so prolific that it would be surprising if she hadn't reused or remixed her own work over the years...
[D]id they intend for other people to do so? Or would they have considered such borrowing or adapting as "ripping" or just plain "stealing"? These questions have dogged the BBS, ASCII art, and ANSI art scenes from the beginning. A freelance writer named Patrick Grote grappled with this ethical dilemma in 1990. He had begun to publish archives of ANSI art that he had collected from various public messageboards and networks. But what were people allowed to do with the ANSI screens in these collections? Was it okay to modify them? "Tough call," Grote said. "I know some people copyright their screens by inserting a little '(C)' on it," Grote wrote in a README file included in these collections. "Is this 'true' copyrighting? I would say yes, but then again, I don't feel like having any legal action taken against me for using an ANSI screen. In my opinion, I would say leave the ones that say '(C)' alone, but make every effort to contact the artist and ask for permission...."
When I corresponded with Fire Escape this year, she admitted her memory wasn't what it used to be, but felt certain that she had not asked any artists for permission because she didn't know who they were or how to reach them. "I figured if anyone had an issue, I'd just remove the screen," she said.
"But no one ever said anything about it."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
US Embassy warns of imminent 'mass casualty event' at iconic Moscow museum
The US Embassy in Moscow has issued an imminent warning for a 'mass casualty event' at a Russian museum on Saturday.
Number of women having breasts removed on the NHS because they identify as men has soared 50 per cent in two years
Some 1,115 operations to remove breasts from people assigned female at birth who now identify as male took place on the NHS in 2024-2025.
How frequent toilet trips at night can be symptom of a dangerous disorder that raises heart attack risk
For three years, Vicki Maylan was treated for bladder problems that she did not have. Previously a good sleeper, she found herself waking up needing the loo - sometimes up to seven times a night.
Poundland collapse will trigger 30,000 job losses, founder warns - as he accuses new owners of 'greed' amid battle to rescue retailer
The future of Poundland hangs in the balance amid calls for the current owners, US investment group Gordon Brothers, to reconsider a rejected bid by a Northern Irish firm to save the company.
French Lawmakers Back Per-Gigabyte Internet Traffic Tax
Companies like Google, Netflix, TikTok, and Meta may soon owe the French government, reports Tom's Hardware:
France has approved a proposed tax that aims to tax the amount of internet data per gigabyte sent to French users in the country... According to minutes released by the National Assembly, members voted 11-10 in support of the motion on October 30 — which now means the new law has been added to the country's next budget, despite major opposition from the government side and the finance committee rapporteur. The latest amendment, introduced by socialist lawmaker Laurent Lhardit, could see content providers pay €0.055 (roughly $0.06) to the government for every gigabyte of content distributed to French users. With approximately 154 million users and counting in France, the proposal's authors say such a tax could generate around €10 billion ($11.2 billion) in annual revenue for the government.
The said proposal, though yet to be passed as it must survive further parliamentary scrutiny, aims at companies that generate substantial internet traffic as opposed to taxing their advertising revenue, profits and subscriptions. Its explanatory notes particularly mention Google, Meta, Netflix, Amazon, and content delivery network Akamai as major potential contributors. Notably, TikTok and other similar platforms could fall under this broader scope depending on how these rules are applied. Internet service providers, including Orange Free and Liad, would be required to measure the volume of data and identify the companies responsible for sending it to French users. The Data will then be collected and submitted quarterly to France's tax administration under the supervision of telecommunications watchdog Arcep.
The measure becomes law if it clears the remaining stages of France's budget process, the article points out, "with parliament scheduled to vote on the budget's first section in early November."
"VideoLAN, the French nonprofit organization behind the VLC media player, warned that the proposed levy could cost it more than €1 million annually," reports CircleID. "Its response illustrates how traffic-based taxation could affect organizations distributing large volumes of data without corresponding commercial revenue."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Colin Farrell's rarely seen son James, 23, makes appearance in documentary trailer amid rare neurological disease battle
The 50-year-old award-winning actor was seen sharing a heartwarming moment with his adult child James, 23, amid his eldest son's battle with the rare neurological disease, Angelman syndrome.
Sydney Sweeney films PDA reunion with hunky Housemaid co-star Michele Morrone on set of sequel
Sweeney plays Millie, a live-in maid trying to start fresh and leave her past behind, while the Italian actor stars as Enzo Accardi, the mysterious groundskeeper.
Flash wannabe influencer who cheated death in horrifying taxi machete attack is languishing in US jail over 'plot to steal £125,000 in cryptocurrency'
Bilal Charles, who the Daily Mail previously revealed was the subject of the frenzied cab attack in Rainham, Essex, two years ago, now faces trial and up to 15 years in a US prison.
Andy Burnham says he is 'open' to UK making a formal apology for slavery as King Charles arrives in Antigua
In what would be a significant U-turn on previous government policy, the PM said he is 'open' to the possibility of the UK issuing a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade.
Holy handbrake turns! UK filming of latest Batman movie is halted after crew member is run over by Batmobile
The accident is said to have occurred while a dramatic scene from The Batman Part II was filmed earlier this month.
Tom Brady's flame Candice Swanepoel wears ring on engagement finger... amid claims their romance ignited girl-on-girl Victoria's Secret feud
The 38-year-old supermodel was seen with a thick, ornate gold band on her left hand as she dashed around Manhattan this Friday.
NASA Seeks Proposals for Reboosting the Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope "will plunge back into the atmosphere in the early-to-mid-2030s," reports Ars Technica.
So now NASA has released a Request For Information (RFI) "asking commercial companies for ideas on how to reboost, service, or a controlled disposal of Hubble."
Specifically, NASA is looking for information about companies' current and near-term capabilities for capturing Hubble and boosting it to an altitude of at least 373 miles (600 km), enhancing the telescope's performance, or guiding Hubble to a controlled reentry. "The requirement includes that the boost and/or servicing mission must not harm the HST and that this mission is expected to occur by 2032," NASA wrote in the RFI. The contractor would be responsible for providing the launch vehicle, servicing spacecraft, mission operations, and "crew if applicable."
NASA is not committing to buying a Hubble rescue mission, but officials want to know who might be interested in mounting such a mission, how much it would cost, and which companies would have a realistic shot at reaching Hubble before it falls out of orbit and burns up on reentry. Orbital dynamicists currently predict that it will likely happen in 2033 or 2034 without intervention, but reentry forecasts can change based on solar activity... A reboost to NASA's requirement of 373 miles (600 km) would likely keep Hubble in orbit for at least 25 more years.
"NASA last raised the orbit of Hubble in 2002," the article points out, "when the Space Shuttle Columbia visited the observatory for a servicing mission."
The final shuttle servicing flight in 2009 did not reboost the telescope's orbit, and with the retirement of the shuttle fleet two years later, Hubble has steadily lost altitude with no way to stave off eventual destruction... NASA's newer flagship observatories, sometimes described as successors to Hubble, are not actually one-for-one replacements. Hubble is tuned to observe the Universe in visible and ultraviolet light, while the Webb and Roman telescopes peer deeper into the infrared Universe. Astronomers will likely have to wait for the launch of NASA's Habitable Worlds Observatory in the 2040s for an improvement on Hubble's visible and ultraviolet vision.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Heroic puppy who cheated death when found on rubbish tip is up for bravery award for saving owner's life
Mouse, a white lurcher, was just six weeks old when he was discovered fighting for his life after swallowing plastic netting.
Maya Jama 'is targeted by BBC bosses who hope to poach her from rivals ITV for a huge new gig after her Celebrity Traitors success'
The presenter is currently a fixture on ITV screens as the host of Love Island, but sources are now claiming that the Beeb are hoping to poach her with a string of big TV offers.
I went from 13 stone and wearing a size 10 to an 18-stone size 20 in just 18 months. I had no idea at the time, but I had an incurable condition that silently affects 1 in 10 women
Five years ago, my lower body ballooned from a size 10 to 20 in a year and a half. I was only 23 and many people were shocked at my sudden weight gain.
Ukraine hits Russia with deadly new tactic of drones released from high-flying weather balloons to trigger Moscow airport chaos
Images emerged of the unconventional tactic as Kremlin war channels revealed how Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking to close airspace around the Russian capital.
Virgin Media O2 to axe thousands of jobs as it cuts costs to battle £22billion debt
In a bid to cut costs, it is said Virgin Media O2 could axe as many as 4,000 jobs - a hefty 25 per cent of its 16,000-strong workforce.
Thomas Markle's Mexican storage unit raided by authorities after Daily Mail found child pornography inside... as one officer recoils in horror at sight of trove
Thomas Markle's Mexican storage unit was raided early Saturday after the Daily Mail exposed its contents. One horrified cop was heard to cry out at its contents.