Gawker

Murdoch's Tabloid Responds to the Times: 'We're Rubber, You're Glue' [Ethics]

Adrian Chen — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:18:30 EDT

The News of the World sent the New York Times a nasty letter over the Times' blockbuster expose on ethical breaches at the Rupert Murdoch-owned British tabloid. Their main argument: "Nyah Nyah, I know you are but what am I?" More »

Death Row Inmates Catch a Break as Lethal Drugs Run Out [Reprieves]

Jeff Neumann — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:26:44 EDT

Good news for death row inmates: The company that produces one of the three drugs used in lethal injections, sodium thiopental, has run out until next year. Well, except for Gregory Wilson, who will get Kentucky's last dose this month. More »

FDA says Genetically-Modified Frankenfish Is Safe to Eat [Science]

Adrian Chen — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:43:00 EDT

Good news for mutants everywhere: The genetically-modified AquAdvantage® salmon has cleared a major hurdle in its slow migration toward the inside of Americans' stomachs. The FDA says that the AquAdvantage® salmon "is as safe as food from conventional Atlantic salmon." More »

A Manhattan Pier Is on Fire (Updated) [Breaking]

Adrian Chen — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:12:00 EDT

Tipster Julia sends in this picture of a raging fire at 12th Ave. And 57th St: "A bunch of cars were on fire." NY1 says this is a "Department of Sanitation Pier". Check back for more details. More »

Pulitzer-Winning Political Cartoonist Paul Conrad Dead at 86 [And Now He's Dead]

Jeff Neumann — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:55:04 EDT

Three time Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Paul Conrad died today at age 86 in California. He worked for over 30 years at The Los Angeles Times, and drew some of America's best political cartoons for more than 50 years. More »

Why Your Social Networking Data Is So Valuable: Network Analysis [Marketing]

Adrian Chen — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:48:25 EDT

Everyone's familiar with how businesses use our personal information to deliver targeted advertising online. But new developments in predictive analysis goes far beyond that, allowing companies to use thousands of points of data to make startlingly specific assumptions about customers. More »

Poll: Most British Taxpayers Don't Want To Foot the Pope's Travel Bill [Payments]

Jeff Neumann — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:53:16 EDT

A new poll suggests that 77% of Britons don't think taxpayers should have to pay for Pope Benedict XVI's £12 million visit later this month. No wonder, considering the Vatican has already banned all fun at the Pope's events. More »

BP's Blowout Preventer Hits Snag On Way To FBI Custody [Evidence]

Jeff Neumann — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:12:11 EDT

FBI agents are waiting on board a ship for BP's blowout preventer to be pulled up later today in the Gulf of Mexico. More »

This Is What Happens When You Translate 'Lady Gaga' with Google Translate [Bugs]

Adrian Chen — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:21:00 EDT

Reddit users have discovered a funny easter egg in Google translate: If you translate "Lady Gaga" from Malay to any other language, it pops up as "Britney Spears." Or, maybe it's not an easter egg, and just a bug. More »

NASA's New $180 Million, One Use Only Spacecraft [Space]

Jeff Neumann — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:17:17 EDT

NASA is building a new $180 million toy called the Solar Probe Plus that it hopes to crash into the Sun within the next eight years. It's equipped with a 3D camera and a solar wind particle detector. [Image: NASA] More »

U.S. Soldiers Film Themselves Pranking Iraqi by Planting a Grenade In His Trunk [Videuoh]

Adrian Chen — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 12:57:53 EDT

A reality TV show that pranks celebrities by planting fake bombs in their cars is causing a stir in Iraq. But a couple months ago, U.S. soldiers filmed themselves planting a live grenade in an Iraqi's trunk as a 'prank.' More »

Double Check the Phone Number Before You Text Someone for Weed [Kids These Days]

Jeff Neumann — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:50:12 EDT

"Hey Dawg, do you have a $20 I can buy right now?" was the text message a Montana teen thought he was sending to his weed dealer. But he got the number wrong and sent it to the local sheriff. More »

Farewell, Craigslist Adult Services Section [Adult Services]

Adrian Chen — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:36:13 EDT

Craigslist has shut down its famed 'Adult Services' section, after Attorneys General in 17 states demanded it do so. Now, there's just a big black-and-white CENSORED bar where once was the gateway to 'deep tissue' massages and colorful sex practices. More »

Washed-Up Morrissey: Still Racist, Still Worshiped [Big Mouths]

Jeff Neumann — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:14:37 EDT

Besides the depressing fact that Morrissey still makes music, he always gets a pass for making racist remarks just because he's Morrissey. He's back at it in a new interview with Guardian Weekend, where he calls Chinese people "a subspecies." More »

Lindsay Lohan's 'Hit-and-Run' Dissolves Into Paparazzi Squabbling [Gossip Roundup]

Adrian Chen — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:49:00 EDT

Did Lilo hit a stroller or just barely tap it? Bill Clinton's drama-filled birthday! Lady Gaga starves herself! Jennifer Aniston: Out with a new man! Fashion police prosecute underaged Willow Smith! Saturday Gossip Roundup is making landfall—take cover. More »

Feds Say Tennessee Mosque Site Torching Was Arson [Crimes]

Jeff Neumann — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:16:01 EDT

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has determined that a fire at a construction site for a mosque in Tennessee was, in fact, arson. Recent reports of gunshots near the site have been blamed on dove hunting season. More »

Tony Blair Is Not Very Welcome In Ireland [Greetings]

Jeff Neumann — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 09:43:08 EDT

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is on a whirlwind book tour promoting his debut novel, A Journey. Today he was in Dublin, Ireland and was greeted by flying shoes, flip-flops, eggs, and protesters chanting "blood on his hands." More »

Get Out of Town [Pic Of The Day]

Brian Moylan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:15:01 EDT

[Some 34 million Americans are driving somewhere fabulous for the weekend. Actually they're probably stuck in a traffic jam like this one in Oakland. Enjoy the long weekend, folks. Try not to spend it all in the car. Image: Getty] More »

The Week Everything Blew [Week In Review]

Richard Lawson — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:01:30 EDT

This week we had Emmys, crazies, dog-throwers, and hurricanes. It was not a good week to be a human being. Though, in some ways, it was a great one. Let's take a look back. More »

Bellowing Foghorn Announces Presence of Hazardous Teen [Open Caption]

Maureen O'Connor — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:47:36 EDT

[Penn Badgley bellows, "Noooo!" as Taylor Momsen threatens to put her panda eye makeup back on. Just kidding, they're filming for Gossip Girl. Taylor would never talk to a boring square like Penn in real life. Image: Pacific Coast News.] More »

Chicago Dentist Behind 'Hillary for 2012' Ads Is Even Creepier Than We Thought [Hillary Clinton]

Jim Newell — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:12:34 EDT

A reader who lives near William DeJean, the nutty Chicago dentist who's randomly running "Hillary 2012" ads on TV in New Orleans, sent in a photo of DeJean's office window, showcasing a Hillary Clinton cut-out and Bill Clinton rubber mask. More »

A Plague-Smuggling Mad Scientist Shut Down Miami's Airport Last Night [Security]

Maureen O'Connor — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:01:31 EDT

Now we know why Miami's airport evacuated last night: Something suspicious was found in the suitcase of a man previously jailed for smuggling the plague. Meet Dr. Thomas Butler, a white guy from Texas who works in Saudi Arabia. More »

Gawker.TV: The Five Best Videos Ever of the Day [Clipjob]

Whitney Jefferson — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:30:00 EDT

Today at Gawker.TV, Will Arnett shares stories of fatherhood with David Letterman, Jon Glaser hams it up on Late Night, Paul Shaffer's cameo on Running Wilde, and Steve Buscemi blames Paul Reiser for ruining his career as a stand-up comic. More »

Massive Earthquake Slams New Zealand [Breaking]

Jim Newell — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:19:39 EDT

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake has hit New Zealand's second-largest town, with aftershocks ongoing. More »

Project Runway: My Best Friend's Wedding [Recaps]

Brian Moylan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:16:48 EDT

There is something inherently awful about all bridesmaid dresses, but they make for amazingly good TV. And with all the contestants hating one "bride" in particular, it made for an exceptionally fraught reception. More »

Young Voters Not Feeling the Democratic 'Vibe' Much Anymore [Midterms]

Jim Newell — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:59:16 EDT

A New York Times article this morning examines the latest iteration of an age-old problem for the Democratic party: getting young voters to give a shit about politics between presidential elections. Are these kids already bored with the "Democrat" fad? More »

Bicycle Tragedy Afflicts Young Kennedy [Open Caption]

Maureen O'Connor — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:55:42 EDT

[Bobby Kennedy III—he of the fedora-wearing Observer internship—takes a perilous bike ride on the back of a tattooed gentleman for AmeriQua, a movie he's making about his own life. Image via Pacific Coast News.] More »

Iraqi Reality TV Show Pranks Celebrities by Planting Fake Bombs in Their Cars [Bad Ideas]

Adrian Chen — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:46:30 EDT

We like our humor dark, but this is dark: In Iraq, a reality show puts fake bombs in celebrities' cars, then tricks them into believing they're going to prison for terrorism once they're "discovered" at security checkpoints. More »

At Least You're Not Working on the Chain Gang This Labor Day [Recessionomics]

Hamilton Nolan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:11:22 EDT

The Way We Live Now: short. And sweet? Well, one out of two ain't bad. Who wants to dwell on economic troubles longer than necessary when it's time to leave work and wish you had the money for a vacation? More »

Jersey Shore: Girl Versus Girl [Recaps]

Brian Moylan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:59:58 EDT

For the guidos of Jersey Shore, the most important sociological experiment of our time, the women stick with the women and the men stick with the men. That has changed as the ladies fight and claw with unrestrained viciousness. More »

Not Asking for Directions Like a Real Man Costs $3,000 [Studies]

Adrian Chen — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:38:04 EDT

Everyone knows that natural selection has made men genetically disinclined to ask for directions when they're lost. (Prehistoric men who stopped to ask for directions were often eaten by sabre-toothed tigers.) Turns out their stubbornness costs them $3,000. More »

AP: The Iraq War's Not Over [Media Crack]

Hamilton Nolan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:19:36 EDT

In your pre-vacation Friday media column: the AP warns reporters on war propaganda, another Newsweek departure, China's "future of journalism" candidate, and ABC pulls a story, while standing by it. More »

Rihanna Salutes Like a Sailor [Open Caption]

Maureen O'Connor — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:04:43 EDT

[Rihanna shows us the cool tricks she learned on the set of Battleship. Image via INF.] More »

Will Barack Obama Love America Enough on 9/11? [Journalisism]

Jim Newell — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:01:43 EDT

Politico, the Beltway's go-to sociopath news outlet, has weighed all of Barack Obama's "options" for 9/11 this year and finds "few" good ones. There are apparently some grave political risks for Obama on 9/11 if he doesn't mourn properly. More »

Hurricane Earl Fizzling Fast [The Weather]

Brian Moylan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:53:46 EDT

Hurricane Earl is weakening. The storm's been downgraded to a Category 1 and may not even be a hurricane at all when it reaches New England late tonight. And the tropical storm warning for NYC has been lifted. Hooray! More »

Selfish Murder Victims Wrecking the Life Expectancy Curve [Men]

Hamilton Nolan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:32:32 EDT

Young guys in NYC are always getting shot. Mostly by other young guys! And while you wild 18-34-year-olds just jump in front of bullets like it's a big party, guess who loses? Your municipal life expectancy, that's who. More »

Leaving Water in the Desert So Immigrants Don't Die Is Now Legal [Rulings]

Richard Lawson — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:27:25 EDT

No More Deaths, an aid organization that tries to prevent border-crossers from dying in the desert, as they do in droves, is celebrating a Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that leaving water bottles in the desert isn't littering. More »

The Emotional Timeline of 9/11, Courtesy of Wikileaks [Things We Actually Like]

Adrian Chen — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:14:50 EDT

Last year, secret-sharing website Wikileaks released 573,000 pager intercepts from 9/11. A group of German psychology students used this data to create an "emotional timeline" of the day, tracing the ebb and flow of sadness, anxiety and anger. More »

Did Lindsay Lohan Hit a Baby in a Stroller with Her Maserati? [VideUhOh]

Maureen O'Connor — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:07:19 EDT

We enter the scene at the moment after impact: Lindsay Lohan's shiny black Maserati drives away as a baby begins to cry. A paparazzo says this shaky video depicts Lindsay Lohan hitting a stroller, then fleeing. But does it really? More »