Google, getting a headstart on the annual tradition of April Fools’ pranks, released a YouTube clip on Sunday declaring that the world’s most popular video website will shut down at the stroke of midnight.
The three-minute video intended as a gag – a montage of clips and cameos from viral video stars like David Devore from “David after the dentist” – describes how the website will wind down as some 30,000 technicians begin to trawl through 150,000 clips, to select the world’s best video.
The winner gets a $500 stipend, a clip-on MP3 player – and becomes the sole video to be featured on YouTube when the website relaunches in 2023.
“Gangnam Style has the same chance of winning as a video with 40 views of a man feeding bread to a duck,” YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar pronounced, referring to the viral sensation from South Korean pop artist PSY that’s now the most-viewed video on the site.
Google’s video also features intense discussions between judges, who hotly debate the merits of everything from Citizen Kane to “epic skateboard fail”. While clearly tongue-in-cheek, several YouTube viewers appeared stricken or dumbfounded, while others expressed sadness and regret in attached comments.(Reuters)
Sagan rapped for podium ‘bottom-pinch’
Highly-rated Slovakian cyclist Peter Sagan was accused of sexism and harassment on Sunday after he was pictured pinching the bottom of a podium girl after the Tour of Flanders.
Sagan, 23, smirked towards the camera as he grabbed the bottom of a blonde hostess, one of two girls giving congratulatory kisses to race winner Fabian Cancellara.
His actions caused an out-pouring of anger on Twitter.
“Shame that Peter Sagan has so much class on a bike and so very little off it,” wrote British cyclist Michael Hutchinson on Twitter.
Later, he added: “Im a little surprised that probably 50% of the Sagan-ass-grabbing-gate replies I’ve got have been pro Sagan. (Maybe I shouldn’t be.).”
Jane Aubrey, editor of Australian website cyclingnews.com, also condemned Sagan’s actions.
“Anyone excusing Sagan’s behaviour due to his age, needs to think again. In the workplace, it’s called harassment,” she tweeted.
Sagan later took to Twitter to apologise for the incident.
“Was not my intention to disrespect women today on the podium. Just a joke, sorry if someone was disturbed about it,” he wrote.(AFP)
Teacher asked female students to send him naked photos
A former teacher at a northwest Indiana high school has been charged with persuading several underage girls to send their naked photos to him by cellphone.
Jon Erik Lilly of Cedar Lake was arrested Wednesday on federal charges of possessing visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He couldn’t be reached for comment because his phone number was unlisted.
Lilly allegedly talked four girls into sexting with him when he taught at Morton High School in Hammond.
Court records unsealed Wednesday say a school official caught him sitting with a female student between his leg in November. A mother also reported she believed her daughter was sexually active with the 27-year-old Lilly.
Investigators allegedly found nude photos of at least four underage students on Lilly’s computer.(AP)
