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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Apr 13, 2015
April 13, 2015
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Watercooler:
One of the arguably most tasteless games to ever appear on a smartphone has been pulled from Amazon's and Android's app stores after an angry social media backlash. The London Daily Mail reports Nevada-based SmartTouchMedia's app, Rescue the Anorexia Girl, was similar to a whack-a-mole game, but instead of knocking down the mole when it pops up, players threw food at "anorexia girl."
Here's the full game description from the cached Amazon product page --it has since been taken down:
"It's your time to become a real hero with this new amusing game Rescue the Anorexia Girl Free! ...Anorexia is a serious disease and fatal if not cured in time. When you have anorexia, the desire to lose weight becomes more important than anything else. For example a girl from new Rescue The Anorexia Girl Free game has started to renounce meals and even tasty cakes cannot save the situation. But now you have come, brave hero and you can save her. We believe in you!
"How to Play: The game mechanic is the same as in whack a beaver games --tap to give the girl a cake. Every time you miss the girl loses weight. So, be careful and don't let the girl die!"
Activist BRIAN CUBAN's blog post about the insensitive app was quoted by The Independent: "[The creators] have literally translated the eating disorder struggles of others into a game. Apparently, all that is needed is a lack of empathy, a few bucks and a software developer to put your perverted vision of entertainment on any number of digital platforms." (Kaye)Sucking the life out of the wire services:
GWYNETH PALTROW is slumming it. The actress took was challenged to live on $29 worth of food stamps for the entire week by celebrity chef MARIO BATALI and revealed on her Goop website that she'll be surviving on a package of tortillas, black beans, rice, cilantro, frozen peas, one ear of corn, an avocado, one tomato, seven limes, a few greens and a carton of eggs.
While the A-lister's cause may be noble, TheFrisky.com points out that she'll be limited to less than 1,000 calories per-day, which isn't realistic for the average food stamp recipient who probably works a labor-intensive job and takes care of small children. Instead, the writer suggests she should've stocked up on peanut butter, potatoes, chicken breasts, milk and oatmeal to stay full. (Lee)Heading for a life of crime:
An eighth-grader in Florida faces felony hacking charges.
14-year-old DOMANIK GREEN allegedly used an administrative password to access the secure network at Paul R Smith Middle School in the town of Holiday. Police say he used the school's computer to prank a teacher by changing his desktop background to a photo of two men kissing. Green was suspended for ten days and charged with "felony offense against a computer system" and "unauthorized access." His mother, EILEEN FOSTER says the felony charge doesn't fit the crime. Green says he figured out the password --a teacher's last name-- by watching someone type it in two years ago. (Still)One Ohio middle school student is super popular with his classmates, but not-so-much with his grandpa.
Cops in Medina say the unidentified 13-year-old swiped $25-thousand bucks from his grandfather. Then, he started passing out $100-dollar bills at Claggett Middle School. School officials finally figured out what was happening and called police. Cops are still trying to figure out how the boy got the money from his 83-year-old granddad. So far, $7-thousand dollars has been recovered and charges against the boy are pending. (Still)Grace notes:
Since the KARDASHIANS were visiting their ancestral homeland of Armenia, KANYE WEST decided to tag along with his wife, KIM. TMZ.com says Kanye did a surprise free concert in the capital city of Yerevan, and, naturally, caused problems. During his set, Kanye decided to jump into Swan Lake, which is where the concert was held. The crowd joined him and the police had to shut the whole thing down.
Phone starter: Besides the Kardashians, how many famous Armenian-Americans in showbiz can you name?
--CHER (Cherilyn Sarkisian)
--DAVID SEVILLE ("Chipmunks." real name, ROSS BAGDISARIAN)
--WILLIAM SAROYAN (author, "The Time Of Your Life." cousin of Ross Bagdisarian)
--MIKE CONNORS (TV's "Mannix," real name, KREKOR OHANIAN)
--The members of the band SYSTEM OF A DOWN. (Marino) -
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