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Yearly Archives: 2017

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In one of his final acts as president, Barrack Obama reduced the sentence of US Army private, Chelsea Manning.

Manning will be freed on May 17 instead of in 2045.

She was sentenced to 35 years in 2010 after she leaked over 700,000 secret governmental and military documents and videos to Wikileaks.

The leak was one of the biggest breaches of classified material in US history.

The transgender female army intelligence analyst has tried to commit suicide twice in the last year, while she has been serving her sentence in a men's military prison. 

Obama also granted a reduction sentences to 209 other people, and a further 64 pardons to others.

Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, said: "Thank you to everyone who campaigned for Chelsea Manning's clemency. Your courage & determination made the impossible possible."

There have been mixed reactions to Manning's reduced sentence, and her transgender identity has been the target of critics and online bullies. 

However, other are showing their support for Obama's decision. 

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We'll admit that Ariana Grande is a very hard working woman.

She's just about ready to go on her Dangerous Woman world tour and is also in the middle of recording a duet with John Legend for the remake of Beauty and the Beast.

However, her latest admission is causing a bit of a storm on social media.

Over the weekend, the songstress shared a picture of herself on the photo-sharing app and captioned it: "When you're cute but also the hardest working 23 year old human being on earth."

She also included the hashtags #CEO and #haventsleptinyears.

And her fans did not appreciate this. The comment section of the picture quickly filled up with people bashing Ariana for calling herself the "hardest working human being," and Twitter was no different:

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With his latest two singles doing incredibly well in the charts, Ed Sheeran is certainly on a high right now.

However, it wasn’t his chart success that had everyone talking today, it was his talk about having a family.

Yes, the 25-year-old singer was asked about whether or not children were on the cards for him and it seems they definitely are.

“I’d love to have loads of babies,” the singer told Vodaphone’s Big Top 40 show.

When the host pressed him about whether that was something he was planning in the immediate future, Ed admitted it would be difficult as he’s “not really around”.

Already busy promoting his new music, 2017 is set to be a very busy year indeed for Ed.

However, he might have found a way to fit family into his busy schedule saying:

“I would have a tour bus baby when the tour was, like, not that intense.”

Ed has been dating hockey player Cherry Seaborn since 2015 and says he’s “the happiest he’s ever been”.

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We're ALL guilty of the odd selfie or two, right?

Your mother, brother and probably even your granny have taken one or two in their lifetimes, but as it turns out, there's only three separate groups of selfie takers out there.

Yep, Brigham Young University published a study in the Visual Communication Quarterly which looked into why people take selfies.

To conduct the study, the researchers "employed a Q-method analysis to quantitatively and qualitatively identify why archetypical motivations exist among individuals who take and share selfies".

Image result for selfie gif

According to the researchers, the three different types are; communicators, autobiographers and self-publicists. We bet you want to know which one you are now…

Are you a… Communicator?

 

 

A photo posted by , Joanne (@ladygaga) on

Communicators, like Lady Gaga, share selfies as a way to connect with their followers. For them, it's all about two-way communication and getting a message across.

 

Are you a… Autobiographer?

 

A photo posted by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on

Autobiographers use seflies to keep track of their life and share cool experiences. Just like Lena Dunham, they don't require feedback from their followers and will post a selfie just because they like it.

 

Are you a… Self-Publicist?

 

A photo posted by Kylie (@kyliejenner) on

Ah, the Kylie Jenners of this world. And hey, there's nothing wrong with that. Self-Publicists share seflies so their followers can see a positive, specific outlook of their life. They post frequently and always hope to present themselves in the best light.

Found the category you fit into?

The authors of the study actually think it's very important to take selfies, because "years from now, our society's visual history is going to be largely comprised of selfies."

Get snappin' ladies.

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We can't help but GUSH about the Obamas lately.

It could be because they're leaving the White House in three days, OR it could be the fact that they're just so incredible cute together.

Apart from the all work that Barack and Michelle do, we love them for being such a strong couple, and openly showing their adoration for each other.

And Barack is the latest one to gush about his love for Michelle.

The President (we're not saying goodbye yet) wrote a tweet to honour his wife today, and it was the cutest thing ever.

"To the girl from the South Side who took on a role she didn't ask for and made it her own: Happy Birthday, Michelle. I love you."

Barack is major #HubbyGoals right now.

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We love finding new and unknown (to us) labels – especially when they're gorgeous and affordable.

So, when we came across Charles and Keith, we couldn't help but share it with you.

The Singaporean label is like Zara for accessories; extremely on trend, great price points and ooze sophisticated glam.

And don't let the fact that it's from Singapore put you off, because the label delivers to Ireland with no fuss.

Here's a few of our fave pieces from the Charles and Keith collection:

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There comes a time in every girl's life when they want to change up their hair do'.

Cut it short, dye it a totally different colour, get extensions – there's so many things we can do these days, but the real struggle comes when we want to grow a hair dye out.

Image result for bad hair gif

Then comes the horrid roots we all hate, and a phase of general dishevelment.

And it looks like Miley Cyrus is no different when it comes to this time of change.

The singer shared a photo on Instagram of her dark roots and peroxide ends which look all too familiar.

 

goin back 2 muah rootz #LAZY #growingphase

A photo posted by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on

Captioning the picture, Miley said: "Goin back 2 muah rootz #LAZY #growingphase."

Her brunette hair is nearly down to her cheekbones!

We can't wait to see her back natural, though. No doubt she'll look just as gorgeous. (Also, how fab is her engagement ring?!).

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According to a recent study, one in three individuals who have been diagnosed as asthmatic do not, in fact, suffer from the condition.

Researchers from the University of Ottawa studied 613 individuals who had been diagnosed with asthma in the last five years, and established that one-third did not actually have the condition.

With the assistance of a lung specialist, researchers were able to conclude that 33 per cent of their participants did not have active asthma, and a staggering 90 per cent were able to stop their medication and remain off it for a year.

The study established that almost half of those diagnosed had not undergone airflow tests to ensure a correct diagnosis  – something which Dr Shawn Aaron, lead author and respirologist at the Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa, struggles to understand.

"Doctors wouldn’t diagnose diabetes without checking blood sugar levels, or a broken bone without ordering an X-ray. But for some reason, many doctors are not ordering the spirometry tests that can definitely diagnose asthma," he said.

"It wasn’t a surprise to most patients when we told them they didn’t have asthma," he added while the study confirmed that those who had been misdiagnosed actually suffered from allergies or heartburn.

Elaborating on the study's findings, Dr  Aaron acknowledged that it was difficult to ascertain which patient was misdiagnosed and which had 'inactive' asthma.

"It’s impossible to say how many of these patients were originally misdiagnosed with asthma, and how many have asthma that is no longer active," he said.

“What we do know is that they were all able to stop taking medication that they didn’t need – medication that is expensive and can have side effects.”

Reflecting on his participants' reaction to the news of their misdiagnosis, Dr Aaron said: "Some knew all along that their puffer wasn’t working, while others were concerned that they might have something more serious."

"Thankfully, the majority of the conditions were mild and easily treated."

The study has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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When your grandfather is one of Russia's richest men – it's no surprise that your wedding is entirely, wonderfully OTT. 

Held at London's swish Landmark hotel in Marylebone, hundreds of friends and family were on hand last Saturday to celebrate the marriage of 19-year-old heiress Irene Kogan to Daniel Kevey.

 

A video posted by Irina (@eriiisha) on

Following a traditional Jewish ceremony, guests were served a stunning nine-course meal which included the likes of yellow fin tuna, seared sea bass, roasted fillet of dry-aged beef, and a pear and pistachio bake-well. 

Then there was the spectacular 3-metre tall, ten-tier wedding cake – as created by the talented London-based Elizabeth Solaru.

DailyMail.com reports that it cost £100,000 and featured five flavours, and more than 10,000 sugar flowers. It was baked using a batter that contained some 1,000 duck eggs.

Antonio Banderas was on hand for one of the speeches, but Irene's property developer grandfather, Valery Kogan, really went all out with the entertainment: Elton John and Mariah Carey sung live while afterward Mark Ronson performed a DJ set into the early morning.

The cost for those acts alone? Around $4.25m.

The bride herself, who at one stage was dancing alongside Mariah, wore two stunning dresses from Ralph & Russo over the course of the celebrations.

Meanwhile, the flower girls opted for pale blue tulle skirts to complement the overall colour scheme. 

A giant wall of flowers, much like the one Kim and Kanye used during their 2014 Paris nuptials, was adorned with the happy couple's initials – I & D – and was in place for photographs.

The wedding was held over the weekend and in the aftermath, glamorous guests have been taking to Instagram with what amounts to a stunning set of snaps.

Indeed, if you're looking for a spot of fashion stimulus in order to plan your attire for any forthcoming Russian billionaire Big Days, take a look at the below ten #styleinspo snaps… 

 

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Fashion gals, we feel your pain.

It's that time of the year when it's too cold to wear bare legs with a skirt, yet, tights are basically your arch nemesis.

They're itchy, scratchy, awkward and they bring back memories of your mother pulling them up on you before school – something we all really hated (no wonder we got so many holes in ours).

Well, we're here to tell you that they can actually look really cool, and all you need is a killer outfit to team them with.

Here's a bit of inspo to get your tight-wearing self off to a great start:

Opaque

The New Rules of Wearing Tights, According to Stylish Girls

The New Rules of Wearing Tights, According to Stylish Girls

Image result for tights street style

 

Colour

Image result for outfit with colour tights street style

Image result for outfit with colour tights street style

Style Notes: A pair of sheer or light-coloured tights is a fun way to offset an otherwise mostly black look. If you're feeling the leather vibes this season, tone it down with a pair like this. 

 

 

Fishnets

Image result for outfit with fishnet tights street style

Image result for outfit with fishnet tights street style

Image result for outfit with fishnet tights street style

Now, go out there and rock it.

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We're all used to seeing snaps of people before and after considerable weight loss.

Whether they're pulling their (now extra large) waistband away from their stomach or using their (now oversized T-shirt) as a bed sheet, when it comes to social media weight loss is always in… until now.

Deciding to turn the trend on its head, body positive social media star, Arianna Dantone, initiated a brand new trend at the start of the year, and Twitter is officially loving it.

The #GainingWeightIsCool hashtag is Arianna's attempt to highlight the importance of weight gain when it comes to countless people's personal journeys.

Whether it's as a result of muscle development through exercise or during the recovery process of an eating disorder, #GainingWeightIsCool seeks to highlight that in many cases relating to physical and mental health, weight gain is just as worthy of celebration as weight loss.

And we're going to let Twitter take it from here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Living with strangers is tricky.

And unless you're exceptionally fortunate, you will, at some point, find yourself sharing a fridge, a bathroom and a remote control with people you don't know from Adam.

Friends and New Girl would have you believe that this period in your life is something to celebrate, but that's not always the case.

While firm friendships have, indeed, been forged while bitching about a landlord, there's no denying that shacking up with strangers isn't for the fainthearted.

And here are just ten signs you're officially done with the people you live with.

1. The sound of their key in the lock gives you the same sense of dread as the Sunday Night Blues.

Deciding that you'd rather sit in your room (with very, very spotty Wi-Fi access) instead of asking about their day is a sign you need to heave-ho.

"Jesus Christ, it's them. I'm going to have to go to bed at 5pm."

2. Their name flashing up on your phone immediately sparks butterflies (and not in a good way).

Assuming you've done wrong by your flatmate every time they text you is enough to send anyone over the edge.

"It's her! It's probably about the electricity bill! Or the internet bill! Someone get me a gin."

3. Their food touching your food in the fridge makes you irrationally angry.

When the way they store their food begins to impact on your mental wellbeing, you may want to start scouting out new places to live.

"His manky bolognaise is practically molesting my Tupperware. I literally can't live like this."

4. You no longer feel you can have a normal conversation with them.

The sound of their voice in the hall makes you want to abseil out the top window than bump into them.

"If I don't move a muscle, she'll never know I'm up here."

5. Hearing that they're planning a weekend away from the house is your new Christmas morning.

From the moment they drop the news, you begin planning how you'll spend those blissful 48 hours of freedom.

"And what time will you be back, precisely? You know, just curious."

6. You find any opportunity to spend time anywhere other than the place you pay rent.

When staying late at work becomes preferable to a night on your own sofa, you need to start asking yourself some questions.

"I know the office cleaner better than my own roommate, and I'm OK with that."

7. You begin to think they're robbing from you, and the feeling is mutual.

When a level of mistrust develops between you and another person under the same roof, it's only a matter of time before someone bails.

"She thinks I robbed her conditioner, but I KNOW she robbed my dry shampoo."

8. You have to gird yourself before turning the lock in your front door.

You allow yourself a fleeting fantasy where you might find a note from them on the hall table telling you that they've moved out.

"Please don't be home. Please don't be home. Please don't be home."

9. You manage to prepare and cook your dinner in record time these days, just so you can avoid conversation.

Frantically dashing between your bedroom and the kitchen is the only way you move around your house anymore.

"Pretty sure this chicken isn't cooked, but I heard the garden gate swing open."

10. You broach the topic of moving back home a bit too often.

Chats with your mam on the phone have you longing for the days you could live a life devoid of heated exchanges about loud sex, unpaid bills and shampoo theft.

"Have you been missing me because I was thinking…."

 

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