FRIDAY FILM BEAT: Are We Officially Dating

I have just a few words to say about this week's Film Beat entry, which may have been released in your country as That Awkward Moment: Best. Comedy movie. Ever. However, we can't say the same thing about Jordan Barrack, who is the Bellend of the Month for February 2014. The builder from Lincolnshire has been ordered to pay a policeman £400 in compensation after he secretly took a photograph of PC Charles Harris while he was being interviewed at Sleaford Police Station in Lincolnshire, drew two penises on it, then posted the doctored photograph on Facebook. He was asked to attend a voluntary interview on August 21 last year after he witnessed a drunken brawl the night before. The 20-year-old was so frustrated at being left waiting for two hours he took a picture of PC Harris when he took his statement. Later that day, Barrack used Photoshop to draw two penises on the officer before uploading the image to Facebook and Snapchat. He was arrested after the image was shared by more than 1,700 people and passed to Lincolnshire Police. Barrack was arrested and pleaded guilty to posting a grossly offensive, obscene picture on a social media site at Lincoln Magistrates Court. He was ordered to pay £400 in compensation to PC Harris as well as £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge. Next time he'll think before he does that again.

Another Grand Canyon-sized foul-up by the TSA

Ashley Brandt was all smiles last week when she went to board a flight home after a belated birthday trip to the Grand Canyon. Then, standing in an airport security line in Phoenix, her jaw dropped. According to Brandt, an agent with the Transportation Security Administration took a look at her D.C. license and began to shake her head. “I don’t know if we can accept these,” Brandt recalled the agent saying. “Do you have a U.S. passport?’ Brandt was dumbfounded, and quickly grew a little scared. A manager was summoned, she says. “I started thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to get home. Am I going to get home?’ ” The long Presidents’ Day weekend had been Brandt’s boyfriend’s first chance to make good on a December birthday promise to take Brandt to see the Grand Canyon. The two were now on their way back, and the next morning, a class would be waiting for Brandt at her Cleveland Park preschool a couple of miles north of the White House. But the implication from the TSA agent seemed clear to Brandt: The District is not a state; TSA requires a state-issued ID to board a plane. Never mind that Brandt had used her brand-new D.C. license, the one marked “District of Columbia” over a backdrop of cherry blossoms, to board her flight to Arizona days earlier. Brandt says the agent yelled out to a supervisor, working in adjacent security line. Are D.C. licenses valid identification? Brandt says she could hear the response, “Yeah, we accept those.” “She didn’t seem to know that it was basically the same as a state ID,” said Brandt, who had only recently traded her Maryland ID for one from the District. “D.C. is obviously not a state, but I didn’t ever imagine it would be a problem — I mean, the whole population of D.C. has to use these.” Within a few minutes, Brandt said she was on her way to the gate and her pulse was settling back to normal. But flabbergasted by the experience, Brandt’s boyfriend, Alan Chewning, who had passed security without an incident in another line, fired off this tweet: “Holy. [Expletive]. TSA @ PHX asked for gf’s passport because her valid DC license deemed invalid b/c ‘DC not a state.’” By the time the two landed, the tweet had gone viral, and stories were flooding in of residents recounting similar horror stories of trying to board a flight with a license from Guam or Puerto Rico. If nothing else, Brandt’s ordeal offered a fresh rallying cry for advocates of D.C. statehood. So if you work for the TSA, please bear this in mind: Washington D.C. and insular areas of the United States are still part of the USA. Their ID is just as good as whatever one you have. Back in Arizona, Governor Jan Brewer has vetoed a bill that would have allowed business owners who cited their religious beliefs to turn away gay customers. Ms Brewer said the bill could have had "unintended and negative consequences". The broad-reaching bill was based around protecting religious freedoms, but would also have given legal protection to those discriminating against others. Its authors argued people should be allowed not to sell something or serve someone, if doing so went against their religious beliefs. Its opponents were big and powerful - the gay rights movement in America has momentum and strong support. Apple, which is bringing a new factory and 2,000 jobs to Arizona, urged the governor to veto the bill, as did American Airlines, the Marriott hotel chain, and a group responsible for bringing Super Bowl XLIX to the state.

Saddle Ridge couple become Saddle Rich

A California couple found a stash of gold coins buried on their property last year valued at as much as US$10,000,000, rare coin dealers have said. The couple live in a rural area of California known as Gold Country for the swarms of prospectors who descended on the region during the 19th Century gold rush. They found the coins in an area of their land they called Saddle Ridge, and the coin dealers who have seen the haul have taken to calling it the Saddle Ridge Hoard. The 1,427 coins in said hoard, which date from 1847-1894, were never circulated and are in mint condition. The unnamed couple found them buried in rusting metal cans under a tree while on a walk last April. It is seen as the largest haul of buried treasure in US history, but you won't be around to enjoy it if you're planning on taking part in an upcoming one-way trip to Mars. On that topic, imagine this scenario: would there be any chance of survival on the red planet? That's a concern for the General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments (GAIAE), the United Arab Emirates' religious watchdog, for anyone who wishes to travel to Mars. The GAIAE has issued a fatwa, or an official Islamic ruling, to warn Muslims against a Mars mission. But the GAIAE likens the journey to a suicide mission. On the authority's free 24-hour hotline, the issue was deliberated by the center's specialized muftis, or scholars, who issued the following statement: "It is not permissible to travel to Mars and never to return if there is no life on Mars. The chances of dying are higher than living." Taking one's life willingly is against Islamic principles. But seriously, come on. A verse from the Quran encourages Muslims to go out and see the signs of God's creation in the heavens and the earth. The first Martian settlers would walk in the footsteps of great Muslim explorers like Ibn Battuta, the 14th century Moroccan journeyman whose travels took him across North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. There have even been Muslim space explorers in the past. And to help Muslims observe religious obligations in space, the Malaysian government has been instrumental in setting up guidelines. In 2006, Malaysia's national space agency Angkasa convened a conference of Islamic scientists and scholars to address the religious obligations of Muslim astronauts. The result was a detailed set of rules called "A Guideline of Performing Ibadah (worship) at the International Space Station (ISS)." It tackles a number of issues, like the number of times a Muslim should observe daily prayers, when a day lasts just 90 minutes in orbit.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Banning homosexuality

The United States is urging Uganda to repeal a law that criminalizes homosexuality with punishments up to life in prison. The White House has issued a statement saying Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni "took Uganda a step backward" by signing the law. It said the measure is an affront and a danger to Ugandan gays, and reflects poorly on the country's human rights record. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US is reviewing its relationship with Uganda as a consequence of the new law and that "now that the law has been enacted, we are beginning an internal review of our relationship with the government of Uganda to ensure that all dimensions of our engagement - including assistance programs - uphold our anti-discrimination policies and principles and reflect our values." Among other measures, the new law imposes harsh new penalties for gay sex, and bans the so-called "promotion" of homosexuality. Amnesty International denounced the new law as "deeply offensive," and said it makes a mockery of rights enshrined in the Ugandan constitution. Of course it's offensive. If Museveni hates gays that much, he should move to Texas instead of being a complete idiot to the people of Uganda, who deserve better than to be picked on over something that isn't necessarily a choice.

Sam beaten to the post by Collins

Veteran basketball player Jason Collins has become the first openly gay athlete to play in a competitive game for a major US professional sports league after signing a 10-day contract with the Brooklyn Nets. Collins entered the court at the start of the second quarter in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 35-year-old centre has played for five other NBA teams, but only revealed he was gay in a Sports Illustrated magazine interview last April. At the time he was not signed to a team. The news comes as Michael Sam, another US sportsman who recently revealed he is gay, prepares to take part in the NFL Scouting Combine - a showcase of college football players looking to be signed by NFL teams. But Collins isn't the first openly gay man to play professional sport in America - last May, Los Angeles Galaxy player Robbie Rogers became the first openly gay male athlete to play in a US professional league. However Major League Soccer, along with soccer itself, is not regarded as one of the four main sports competitions in the US. So now that we have an openly gay NBA player, and an openly gay NFL prospect, why not an openly gay MLB or NHL player? And while we're on the topic of more diversity in the major leagues of each sport, why not sign on a woman player? That would be a real game-changer. Speaking of changing the game, Netflix has agreed a deal with Comcast, the biggest internet service provider in the US, that will see its videos streamed faster and more smoothly. The multi-year deal will see Netflix servers connected directly to Comcast's network, removing third parties that slow down streaming speeds. However, Comcast said Netflix would not get "preferential network treatment". The deal may see Netflix enter similar deals, known as interconnect agreements, with other internet service providers across the country.

Reds smash it up at the Palace

Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney struck within six minutes of each other in the second half of this morning's fixture at Selhurst Park to hand Manchester United victory over Crystal Palace. The Dutchman's penalty was quickly followed by an unstoppable volley from his strike partner to break down the resilient hosts, and the goals were a relief for the Reds after spells of persistent possession play had failed to reap rewards. Sadly, this is still not enough as two Reds players (Nemanja Vidic and Ryan Giggs) copped a yellow card each and Man United are still fifteen points behind league leaders Chelsea. If David Moyes can win every game from hereon out, he will still have a chance at defending the title.

Ole Miss students missing the point

A noose was hung around the neck of a statue of a famous civil rights figure at the University of Mississippi. Alcohol and racial slurs were hurled at a black student as she walked near the campus. These two recent, racially charged incidents have some wondering if the school affectionately called Ole Miss is still stuck in the old days. Some alumni say the incidents do not reflect the true character of their alma mater. In the meantime, the FBI is getting involved in one of the incidents. Special Agent Daniel McMullen said the bureau, along with university police, will expand the investigation to determine whether any federal laws were broken in the incident last weekend, when a noose and a flag bearing a Confederate symbol were found placed on the statue of James Meredith. That is just not cool. Either the culprits really are that ignorant or they're just young teenagers who don't realise the seriousness of their actions. Speaking of which, scores of copies of Anne Frank's diary and other books covering the Holocaust held by public libraries across Tokyo have been vandalised, according to local government officials in the Suginami and Nakano wards of Tokyo. Pages were torn out of at least 167 books - most of them versions of "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl". The diary, which has been read by millions of people around the world, is a Jewish girl's account of hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. Seriously, people, if you were involved in either incident, then you're not a nice person to be around. People should NOT be desecrating statues of civil rights leaders or ripping pages out of Anne Frank's diary because that's just insensitive.

FRIDAY FILM BEAT: Blue Is The Warmest Colour

This one was probably one of the best films to have won the Palme d'Or among other awards. For a movie that lasted almost three hours and featured some of the most explosively graphic lesbian sex scenes in recent memory, it has actually done quite well for itself: it has made at least fifty film critics' top ten lists (check a somewhat exhaustive list of those out here) and it has been sold to 131 territories - it was even sold to some culturally sensitive markets such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia (not that there are any cinemas there to screen it at), Pakistan, and Nepal. This is one movie definitely worth seeing if you get the chance.

WhatsApp with that?

Facebook has announced that it will be buying the WhatsApp messaging service for US$16 billion. But seriously, who cares? I mean, WhatsApp with that (sorry about the pun)? I wouldn't have paid that much for a service I probably won't even use. There are better things to do with your time and money than expanding your empire, like these parodies of PSY's hits Gangnam Style and Gentleman, which were made by some guy in Kazakhstan. Is nice!

Nothin' on earth like a genuine bona-fide electrified cancer monorail

Cancer "monorails" can be used to kill tumours by luring them into toxic pits or areas of the body that are safer to operate on, according to a team at the Georgia Institute of Technology who designed nanofibres thinner than a human hair which cancers "choose" to travel down. Animal studies showed brain tumours could be shrunk by tricking cancer cells into migrating down the fibres. The team were working with difficult-to-treat brain cancers known as glioblastomas, which have a tendency to spread inside the brain. The cancerous cells travel down nerves and blood vessels as they invade the brain. The nanofibre technology, reported in Nature Materials, mimics the channels cancerous cells use to move. One of the researchers, Prof Ravi Bellamkonda, said: "The cancer cells normally latch on to these natural structures and ride them like a monorail to other parts of the brain. By providing an attractive alternative fibre, we can efficiently move the tumours along a different path to a destination that we choose." It works by bringing the tumour to the drug (or at the very least to an area that can be operated on more easily), not the drug to the tumour. You can move the tumour along a path you specify and then kill it. It's not creating extra tumour - in fact, the primary tumour actually shrinks. This fascinating, cutting-edge approach could in time lead to new ways of stopping tumours growing without damaging healthy tissue, which is particularly important for those with brain tumours. But it's still in its infancy and so far has only been tested in rats, so there is a long way to go before we know if it will be safe and effective as a cancer treatment. And speaking of cancer, when 14 members of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church showed up at the University of Missouri on Saturday to protest the presence of openly gay football player Michael Sam at an NCAA basketball game against Tennessee, they were in for a bit of a surprise. Sam, who acknowledged he is gay on February 9, has received a great deal of support from around the globe, but his fellow students were about to go one step further. Missouri students Kelaney Lakers and Alix Carruth organized an event called "One Wall, One Mizzou," which drew hundreds of people to the campus on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of supporting Sam. According to the group event's Facebook page, the students planned to form a human wall to block off the Westboro protesters. "The focus of this wall is unification behind Sam to represent this school as One," the Facebook page stated. A total of 4,952 people responded to the page. The Westboro protesters had announced that they planned to show up at 1:30 (Central Standard Time), so the Mizzou students assembled at 1 and formed a long human chain that surrounded the campus. Many wore the school colors of black and gold and carried handmade signs that used the hashtag #StandwithSam. By the time Westboro protestors did arrive, all they could do was wave their signs, because they couldn't get close to the school. Maybe now they'll hate fags somewhere else.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: NekNomination

This is an online drinking game. The original parameters of the game required the participant to film themselves drinking a pint of an alcoholic beverage, usually beer, in one gulp and upload the footage to the web. The participant then nominates two others to do the same, although a third nomination has become commonplace. The nominated person has to complete the task within 24 hours. As the game spread it escalated with nominees performing the challenge in more extreme circumstances by drinking more potent beverages or engaging in dangerous activities either during or immediately after consuming their beverage. The British tabloid newspaper Metro reported that at least four deaths in the United Kingdom and Ireland are believed to be caused by the drinking game, and now a fifth person has died after carrying out a NekNomination, this time involving drinking two pints of gin. Bradley Eames, from Nottingham, died four days after he recorded a Facebook video while consuming the alcohol, which was mixed with tea bags. His death is thought to be the fifth in the UK and Ireland linked to the drinking game. The 20-year-old said he was feeling ill following the bet, which serves him right for drinking so much in the first place. Police confirmed they had been made aware of the NekNomination video but said a post-mortem on his body had not revealed the cause of death. Seriously, guys, please do NOT do this. There are more important things in life than chugging a pint and uploading it online for all to see. That's just dumb. Think with your head, people, not with your genitals.

Flap that

In the wake of Flappy Bird's demise, an army of clones has risen up to take its place — but Apple and Google may now be preventing that from happening. Currently when you search "flappy" in Google Play or the App Store, you'll see game like Flappy Fish, Flappy Pig, or Splashy Fish pop up. However, several developers are reporting that both Apple and Google have since clamped down on obvious clones, disallowing games that are clearly built to cash in on Flappy Bird's sudden burst of popularity. But enough about that because here's what really makes our mobile devices ever more spectacular: larger screens, higher resolutions, faster modems, and speedier processors. And here's the oft substantial cost of all that: big-time battery consumption. Handset makers constantly strive to squeeze more milliamps into a phone battery. The challenge of so while keeping a slim profile is clear to anyone who has used a charging case. But even here there is a tradeoff beyond potential girth. As batteries get larger and chargers send a fixed amount of juice using the microUSB specification, wireless charging times can increase dramatically. That is why new standards promise to top our mobile devices off faster than ever. For instance, USB 3.0 provided some relief to the issue by raising the ceiling for power from its previous limit of 500 milliamps per hour to 800. But a new version of the Quick Charge standard developed by Qualcomm would enable charges up to 75 percent faster than conventional technology. But what needs to happen for device companies to implement Quick Charge 2.0? Support for the standard is already present in the high-end range of Qualcomm's ubiquitous mobile system-on-chip series; over 70 handsets supported version 1.0 of the standard. Handset companies would simply need to activate the technology, which would make sense if they opted to toss in a Quick Charge 2.0-compatible charger in the box. And in order to prevent lower-power devices from being blown out by receiving too much current, the company is working closely with mobile device makers and major battery and charger suppliers to help ensure that each device gets only as much juice as it can handle. It's looking to be a standard to get behind, and those who will most likely find the most value in the new Quick Charge are mobile users who pound on their battery. Nomadic types who get in bits of work at coffee shops can appreciate the value of being able to "top off", or get a lot closer to doing so, with only 15 or 20 minutes of outlet access. Along with improvements in battery life longevity and conservation, faster charging will be a part of the total effort required to keep one's mobile life going. Just you wait until Quick Charge 3.0 comes onto the market.

Sheila's Sexy and she knows it

Last week, a central Ohio woman who loathed being named Sheila Ranea Crabtree and wanted a moniker that reflected her personality has legally changed her first name to Sexy. A US judge approved the request on Tuesday (local time) from the 41-year-old Pataskala woman, who called her given name "the ugliest one out there." She says that if the court didn't allow the switch to Sexy, she'd try to become known legally by her middle name, which she has used for years. When the judge asked why she chose Sexy, Crabtree said she's fun and free-spirited and thought the change would make her complete. Speaking of complete, Uganda's president has been a complete bellend and vowed to sign sweeping anti-gay legislation, citing what he said were scientific, not political, considerations for a controversial measure in a country that already criminalizes homosexuality. In a statement, President Yoweri Museveni declared debate on the legislation over and said he was not concerned about the expected international outcry. His remarks, made during a conference of the ruling National Resistance Movement, drew loud applause from supporters who need to realise that a person's a person no matter how queer. If Museveni signs that crap, then he's just pushing Uganda further and further into the Dark Ages. But enough about that because John Henson - a son of the late, great children's entertainment visionary Jim Henson - died after a "sudden, massive heart attack," one that I'm sure wasn't related to the developments in Uganda.

And that's another Ellen out of the closet

Hollywood actress Ellen Page, known for her role in the movie "Juno," announced she is gay, in a very public way: she broke the news during an emotional speech at a crowded conference hall in Las Vegas. "I'm here today because I am gay. And because... maybe I can make a difference," Page told a crowd at an event called Time to THRIVE, a conference to promote issues of the gay community. "I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission. I suffered for years, because I was scared to be out." The Canadian star got a standing ovation during the speech, in which she also spoke about football star Michael Sam, an All-American defensive lineman who also came out this week. Sam's announcement creates the possibility he'll be the first openly gay player drafted by the NFL. That's all well and good, but the NFL's rules don't say that women can't play, so maybe it's time somebody went one further and became the first woman to play in the NFL, and maybe a few years after that a lesbian could be drafted to play in the league, then after that we could train other species to play professional football. Or maybe just sticking to humans would be a better idea.

FRIDAY FILM BEAT: Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

It may have taken me a while to see this one but it was worth seeing. Even if you're not really into the horror genre, I still recommend that you see it anyway because there are some really funny bits at the start, including a scene where one character drew a penis on another character's left cheek with a marker pen while he was sleeping. The critics may have given the movie mixed to negative reviews, but I sure liked it.

No goals, no glory

Clear-cut chances were at a premium this morning as Manchester United recorded a competitive goalless draw with Arsenal at Emirates Stadium, with one yellow card apiece. It's one thing to not lose but it shouldn't be so much to ask for Moyes to have some more wins under his belt. He has not been pulling his weight over the 7½ months that he has been at Man United. He should leave before he does any irreparable damage to the Reds' reputation.

And boom goes the dynamite

At least 12 people have been killed in a multiple bombing Tuesday afternoon at a movie theater in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar. Syed Jamil Shah, press officer for the city's Lady Reading Hospital, said at least 17 others were injured. A senior Peshawar police officer, Ijaz Ahmed, said three hand grenades hit the Shama Cinema, which is infamous in the city for showing pornographic movies. One blast was inside the cinema, and the other two outside, he told reporters. The movie theater had received security threats, and police had advised that metal detectors should be set up outside it. This advice was not heeded, which was actually quite stupid. They have them at many airports around the world and a lot of schools in the US, but they could always be of use in cinemas. Metal detectors could've stopped incidents like a shooting in Latvia that took place three years ago after a screening of Black Swan, the Batman shootings in Colorado in July 2012, and last month's shooting during a screening of Lone Survivor in Florida.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: BASE jumping

Amber Bellows, a newlywed woman from Salt Lake City, died at the age of 28 after plunging about 600 metres in a BASE jumping attempt in Utah's rugged Zion National Park, where the risky activity is illegal and for good reason. Bellows and her husband of two weeks, 29-year-old Clayton Butler, climbed up Mount Kinesava, a 2218-metre peak that overlooks the park, on Saturday afternoon (Mountain Standard Time). The couple were said to be experienced BASE jumpers - in which participants leap from fixed objects, such as mountains or buildings, using parachutes to slow their falls. Bellows jumped first that day, but her parachute didn't open properly, so Butler jumped after her, but he couldn't reach her. He then hiked out of the remote area to find help, alerting park authorities at about 6:30 p.m. Recovery teams located Bellows' body around 10 a.m. the following day. Using a helicopter, they hoisted her from the difficult terrain to a nearby ambulance, but it was too late. My sister gets married in nine months time and I'm scared that she and/or her fiance will put their lives in great danger on their honeymoon. If one of them dies, my niece (pictured) will grow up without both of her parents. Kayleigh, Nick, if either of you are reading this, then DO NOT go BASE jumping on your honeymoon unless you want Hazel to become an orphan.

13 games to go, 15 points behind… can they catch up?

This morning at Old Trafford, Steve Sidwell had given Fulham a first-half lead but just when it looked like the visitors had staved off relentless Reds pressure, Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick scored to give Man United a 2-1 lead and, seemingly, all three points. But they were denied a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Fulham when Darren Bent rescued a late point for struggling Fulham deep in injury time. Nobody got booked or sent off, but one point just isn't enough for David Moyes and his men right now. The Reds are 15 points behind league leaders Chelsea and they only have 13 games in which to redeem themselves, so they can't just keep drawing. They need to play some serious football between now and the end of the season (and hope their rivals stuff up) if they want to keep the Premier League title.

The Axe Factor

Fox has canceled the American version of The X Factor after three seasons, Reuters reports. The show's creator, Simon Cowell, will be returning to the U.K. version of the reality singing contest. "I've had a fantastic time over the last 12 years, both on 'The X Factor' and 'American Idol,'" Cowell said in a statement after Fox announced the news on Friday. "And apart from being lucky enough to find some amazing talent on the shows, I have always had an incredible welcome from the American public (most of the time!)" For the show's season three finale in December, The X Factor drew only 6.2 million viewers, which was about half the size of the audience that tuned in for the first season's finale. The $15 million that Fox reportedly spent to hire Britney Spears as a judge in 2012 failed to attract a larger audience against rivals like NBC's The Voice. The show has featured nine different judges through its three seasons, and recently saw the departure of Demi Lovato from the panel. "The thing about these shows over the years is they started off as one-hour shows and now it's two hours or two and a half hours and then an hour show the next day. That's like watching a movie," Cowell said in December, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "It's getting to be probably too much. When the shows are popular, the networks want to make them longer, and that's not necessarily a good thing." Maybe, but Man United beating Fulham in their upcoming clash will be a good thing. And so will a few more wins for Moyes' side.

WELL DONE BOYS!

New Zealand have won the Wellington Sevens, beating South Africa 21-0. Australia won the Plate, Kenya won the Bowl, and United States won the Shield. Well done, boys.

FRIDAY FILM BEAT: Grudge Match

That movie, a sports comedy starring Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone as aging boxers stepping into the ring for one last bout, was one of the funniest I've seen so far in 2014. De Niro and Stallone really pulled it together, but I especially liked the use of the term "butterscotch jellybeans" on a couple of occasions to sugarcoat a reference to blowjobs (and a later scene where one of the characters received a jar of butterscotch jellybeans). Overall, this movie is one you guys should see (hopefully before you die). Now let's go from BJ to B-day, because my niece (pictured) turned one today. Happy birthday, Hazel.

Psych gets psyched out

The current eighth season of "Psych" will be its last. The long-running USA Network series will conclude on March 26. The finale will be followed by a one-hour live after-show featuring a Q&A with the cast and show creator, Steve Franks. Though the producers did not know about the cancellation until recently, they had an inkling this might be coming. So the final episode therefore feels like a suitable finale, with topics addressed like Juliet (Maggie Lawson) and Shawn's (James Roday) relationship. "Psych" is one of the rare cable dramas to surpass 100 episodes. Its legacy includes a two-hour musical, a 10-city college tour, and five appearances at Comic-Con. But enough about that because Disney star Mia Talerico is learning at a very young age about the dangers of celebrity. Someone posted online death threats against the 5-year-old actress, who plays Charlie in "Good Luck Charlie," a hit Disney Channel series that has, as with Psych, been canceled after 100 episodes. The Los Angeles Police Department's threat management unit is investigating the threats made against Talerico. Come on, people, she's only five. That sort of rubbish is not cool, and whoever did it, if you're reading this, Adolf Hitler would be a refreshing step up from you. People should NOT be making death threats towards little children.

What hath Moyes wrought?

The bad news just keeps coming for English Premier League champions Manchester United. Already out of the FA and League Cups, another English Premier defeat to Stoke at the weekend left the club lagging 15 points behind leaders Arsenal. That was bad enough, but now an online survey of Chinese fans reveals Arsenal has now eclipsed United as the most popular football club in China. This is not good. David Moyes should step down before he drags the club's good name all the way through the mud. He was never the right man to be filling Alex's shoes. Speaking of shoes, Sarah Jessica Parker and her alter ego Carrie Bradshaw have stepped out in the most far-fetched, frivolous shoes imaginable. Yet, when it came time to create her own line, Parker turned the tables and opted for a refined and affordable approach. “I’m a firm believer in quality and timelessness and have created this collection with the hopes that women will love wearing it for years to come,” said the actress and producer. Her label, named SJP, will launch at Nordstrom, nordstrom.com, and a three-day pop-up store at 372 West Broadway on Feb. 28. It features more than 25 ladylike shoe styles made in Italy, along with three handbags and a fitted trench coat in beige or navy. It’s priced at an affordable luxury level, with most of the shoes going for about $350, as compared to $595 and up for a pair of Manolo Blahnik pumps. “If we’re talking about a few hundred bucks, those are hard-earned bucks and [the product] better be good,” noted Parker, whose family was on and off welfare when she was a child.

BAD IDEA OF THE WEEK: Making mistakes in your programming

Today may be Facebook's tenth birthday but one should remember that without reliable coding and an appealing user interface, the site wouldn't be where it is today. But not every site has been so lucky over the years. Case in point: a "coding error" on the NHS website exposed users to harmful websites rather than health advice. More than 800 pages on NHS.uk automatically redirected unsuspecting users to pages that contain either malware or advertising. The affected pages were highlighted by a user who posted details of the problem on Reddit. In a statement, the NHS said its site had not been maliciously attacked and that it had fixed the problem, which should never have happened to start with. It takes more than good looks and added bells and whistles to make a good website great - you also need to know how to code them so you don't get the wrong colour or linked page or whatever.

Broncos bucked out at final hurdle

We may have lost Philip Seymour Hoffman, but we gained a new Super Bowl champion: the Seattle Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos 43-8, and it was rather appropriate that a member of Seattle's league-leading "D" would be the MVP of the Super Bowl, considering the way the Seahawks shut down Manning and Denver's record-breaking offense, forcing four turnovers and holding the Broncos scoreless until the last play of the third quarter. The MVP, Malcolm Smith, always was ready to step in when the Seattle Seahawks needed him. Now he's only the third linebacker in NFL history to earn Super Bowl MVP honours. Smith returned an interception of regular-season MVP Peyton Manning 69 yards for a touchdown in the first half, recovered a fumble in the second half, and was part of a dominating defensive performance by Seattle during its victory over the Denver Broncos. "I woke up jumping, bouncing," Smith said when presented with a truck amid the confetti-strewn field after the game. "It turned out great for us tonight." Also great is this video of somebody sticking it to some ants. Check this one out too.

Britannia rules the Reds

Manchester United slipped to defeat at Britannia Stadium this morning as two goals from Charlie Adam either side of Robin van Persie’s equaliser gave the Stoke City all three points. Both sides struggled to deal with the blustery conditions early on, and United were forced into a change after just 10 minutes when Rafael replaced the limping Jonny Evans. United, with the wind at their backs in the first half, had the majority of possession but rarely threatened the Stoke goal, while the hosts were reduced to long-range shots that failed to hit the target, and the four yellow cards were shared out evenly. This constant failure to win matches would not have happened if Fergie had stayed on for just one more season, even if just to show Moyes how it should be done.

Where's the weed?

Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber was allowed re-entry into the United States last night (Eastern Standard Time) after a brief detention during which U.S. Customs officials used drug-sniffing dogs to search his private jet, according to a U.S. law enforcement source briefed on the incident. The search of the plane was undertaken after U.S. customs officials believed they smelled weed on some of Bieber's entourage. No illegal drugs were found on the plane and no charges were brought, but the young singer and his fellow passengers, who may have smoked their entire stash during the flight, were questioned for several hours. A Port Authority spokesman said his agency was notified at 8:20 p.m. Eastern Standard Time that Bieber had been released from U.S. Customs, and had no further comment. However, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office charged a friend of Bieber's with drug possession in connection with a raid last month on the singer's home in Calabasas, California, about 50 km northeast of Los Angeles. 20-year-old Xavier Smith, better known as rapper Lil Za, was charged with possession of ecstasy and oxycodone and vandalizing the Los Angeles County Sheriff's jail where he was held, and he is a very bad boy. Speaking of bad boys, 'The Social Network' star Jesse Eisenberg is all set to play Superman's arch-enemy Lex Luthor in the upcoming Batman/Superman movie, while actor Jeremy Irons has also been cast as Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred in the Zack Snyder-directed Warner Bros movie, reported Us magazine. "Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman's rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940," director Snyder said in a press release about the casting. "What's great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain. He's a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth, and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman." Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck will be playing Superman and Batman respectively. The movie, set to open on 6 May 2016, also stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, and Gal Gadot, who will take on the role of Wonder Woman.