Getting Out Of Jail Free, And Other News
You weren't in the office over the weekend – we hope – which means you weren't hanging out on Digg to avoid doing your work. Here are some interesting stories that you might have missed while you were out.
Bored Of Prison? Just Email A Fake Release Form To The Guards And They'll Let You Out
Neil Moore, an inmate at London's Wandsworth Prison, managed to secure his release by emailing fake release papers to the prison from a contraband phone. It's unclear if the prison administration has even heard of the phrase "due diligence," because they certainly didn't perform it.
Meanwhile, as bored as Moore must have been in prison, life on the outside apparently proved to be even more tedious: he turned himself into the police three days later.
Our Brains Are Hardwired To Help Us Get Over Our Exes
New research suggests that our brains are programmed to survive the pain associated with heartbreak. So, a message from your brain to you: It's all gonna be okay.
The Six Second Drum Fill That's Made It's Way Into More Than A Thousand Songs
Audio may not go viral in the same way video does, but the drum break from The Winstons' 1969 B-side "Amen, Brother" did just about the next best thing — the instantly recognizable breakbeat has appeared, in some form, in around 1,500 songs.
Of course, while the beat has brought joy to our ears, The Winstons – who have never received any compensation – are less than thrilled. Said lead singer Richard Spencer, "I come from an era where you didn't steal people's ideas."
Life As A Modern-Day Cowboy
It's not all shootouts these days.1
The West may not be wild anymore, but there are still honest-to-god cowboys on the plains, and Sophie Saint Thomas talked to one to find out what they're up to and what separates them from weekend rodeo riders.
Americans Are Failures, Prefer Fake Maple Syrup
My fellow Americans, we can do better.
The USDA Doesn't Want The Llamas (Yes, Those Llamas) To Appear In Public
If you can remember the world before The Dress, you might recall that earlier that day, two llamas set out on the greatest chase since OJ's White Ford Bronco, leading pursuers in Sun City, Arizona on a riveting 30 minute chase. It was a glorious moment when thousands (millions?) of Americans stopped even pretending to work and huddled around computers to watch the chase unfold.2
But now, the USDA has ordered the llamas' owners to stop showing them in public without a llama license.3 If we've learned anything, though, it's that these llamas can't be caged for long.
Philadelphia 76ers Fan Sinks Half-Court Shot To Win Season Tickets
Given how despairingly awful the 76ers are this season, shouldn't all the fans at the game get free tickets just for showing up?
In the news: A plane skidded off the runway in Halifax early Sunday morning, injuring 23; a car crashed during an endurance race in Germany, killing one spectator and injuring four; American and Russian astronauts departed Saturday for the International Space Station, where they'll spend the next year; music festivals Coachella and Lollapalooza announced bans on selfie-sticks; and Indiana governor Mike Pence, appearing on "This Week," refused to back down on Indiana's controversial "religious freedom" law.