The Hennessey Performance Venom GT has claimed the title of
“World’s Fastest Production Car” for the United States, but not without
some controversy.
This past Valentine’s Day, racing driver/test engineer Brian Smith
piloted the 1,244 hp supercar down the Kennedy Space Center’s 3.2-mile
Space Shuttle landing runway to a maximum velocity of 270.49 mph, and
was still accelerating when he ran out of room and had to hit the
brakes.
The touch-down speed of the Shuttle? Only around 225 mph.
The Venom’s speed bested the previous mark of 267.86 mph set by the
Bugatti Veyron Super Sport in 2010, although not everyone agrees it was a
record-setting feat.
Bugatti’s run was sanctioned by Guinness, which requires that cars be
clocked over a flying kilometer in opposite directions then takes an
average of the two speeds. There simply isn’t enough pavement at Kennedy
to do that sort of thing, and NASA wasn’t able to authorize a second
run, anyway.
In fact, possibly the only place on earth where it can be pulled off
safely is a huge oval test track in Germany owned by Bugatti’s parent
company, Volkswagen. So, the fix is kind of in.
Nevertheless, fans of the Venom GT don’t seem to be deterred.
All but four of the planned 29-unit run of $1.2 million cars have now
been sold after a rush to buy them in the wake of the top speed run.
And don’t think there are any hard feelings between Hennessey and Guinness.
The organization currently recognizes the Venom GT as the world’s
fastest accelerating car from 0-300 km/h – 186.4 mph -- which it can do
in just 13.86 seconds.
When it comes to speed, there are still some things everyone can agree on.
The crew of Gregg Allman biopic “Midnight Rider”
was working on train tracks without permission from the railroad in
Wayne County, Ga. when a train crashed into the production team, killing
one and injuring seven others, an investigator said Friday.
The tracks, owned by CSX Railroad, cross private land owned by
forest-products company Rayonier, which has a nearby paper mill. Joe
Gardner, the lead detective on the case, said the crew had Rayonier’s
permission to film on its property next to the train tracks.
“CSX has told me they were aware they were out there, but they did
not have permission to be on the train tracks,” Gardner told reporters.
An eyewitness told Variety the Open Road Films drama was in
its first day of shooting Thursday afternoon and the crew was filming a
dream sequence on a railroad trestle when a train unexpectedly crossed
the bridge.
The victim, a second camera assistant, was later identified as Sarah Jones, 27, of Atlanta.
A rep for Open Road has declined to comment on how Thursday’s fatal incident could effect the pic’s future.
The crew, including director Randall Miller, had been warned to
expect two trains on the local bridge, one in each direction, and waited
until after those two trains had passed to set up their shot, which
involved placing a bed on the tracks. The railroad had also told the
production that if any additional trains came, they’d hear a whistle
about a minute before the train would reach the bridge.
A third train did arrive unexpectedly, blowing its whistle while the
crew was on the bridge and the bed was on the track. Crew members ran
toward their base camp, which was on land at one end of the bridge,
using a plank walkway on the side of the trestle bridge. However in
doing so they ran toward the bed. That proved disastrous.
Miller, who also directed the 2008 film “Bottle Shock,” and a still
photographer rushed to get the bed off the tracks. Miller fell onto the
tracks but the still photographer pulled him off, according to the
witness, saving his life. The train was unable to stop and crossed the
bridge while the crew was still on the walkway and the bed was still on
the tracks.
The bed was hit by the train and shattered, sending debris flying.
One large piece of debris hit Jones as she was running and knocked her
onto the tracks. She was then struck by the train and killed. Debris
also hit and injured several other people, including one who was
seriously injured and airlifted to Savannah’s Memorial Health University
Medical Center.
Another person also suffered injuries during the accident and was
admitted to the hospital while at least two other people from the crew,
none seriously injured, were treated in the emergency room at Wayne
Memorial Hospital in Jesup, Ga. Gardner told reporters on Thursday that
seven people were injured.
In addition to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department in Jesup, Ga.,
near where the accident occurred, officials from the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration are conducting an investigation, according to
a spokesman for the agency in Atlanta.
Starring William Hurt, Bradley Whitford, Eliza Dushku, Zoey Deutch
and Tyson Ritter, “Midnight Rider” is set to be released by Open Road in
the U.S.
Allman is also an executive producer on the film.
Representatives for the production did not immediately return requests for comment.
Update: Nick Gant, creative director and principal of Meddin Studios
in Savannah, which is working with the production, said via email:
“This is not gorilla film making or a group of indie film makers
trying to grab a shot. It was weeks of communications and scouting
multiple places. You had to have access to get onto the site. We have
20-30 year veterans in all the departments, crew is extremely qualified,
cast trailers were transporter, location was almost 90 minutes away… No
corners were cut.”
“CSX will say what they want because they can retract their statement in 6 months and it will have no press around it.
“We are spending too much time trying to place blame on a horrific
accident. Sarah’s actions probably saved other peoples lives. The crew,
our families and our community are very tight. We are able to hand
select who we are going to spend long days and weeks together. Sarah
and every crew members were friends, family and professionals at what
they did.
“We need to celebrate their accomplishments, their lives and support their families as we move forward.”
ONE of Australia’s most popular television identities, Charlotte
Dawson, has been found dead at the age of 47 after a long history of
depression.
The Kiwi-born former model is understood to have been found by a
security guard in the early hours of this morning having failed to show
up to a planned lunch date.
Police confirmed they were called to Wooloomooloo wharf at 11.18am and there were no suspicious circumstances to the death.
Charlotte Dawson was found dead in
her apartment at Woolloomooloo today. Pictured is a police van entering
the private wharf driveway.Source: News Corp Australia
Police at the doorstep of the apartment where Dawson died.Source: News Corp Australia
The tragic news led to an immediate outpouring of grief on social media networks.
Radio personalities Kyle and Jackie O were among the first to express their shock. “Heartbroken to hear news that Charlotte Dawson has died,” they tweeted.
At least one close friend contacted soon after Dawson
was found dead admitted the troubled TV host and former model was in
“the worst shape emotionally” they had ever seen her — and on more than
one occasion had failed to meet friends at organised times in the three
days leading up to her death.
It is understood it was Dawson’s
failure to appear at a lunch appointment — as well as the fact her
Twitter account had remained dormant for 19 hours — that alerted one
friend to contact the building manager at Dawson’s apartment building
early Saturday morning.
A security guard then made the discovery
in Dawson’s unit, number 104, and raised the alarm, with police arriving
soon after to remove the body.
Fellow Woolloomooloo wharf resident Russell Crowe was in tears as he heard the news today.Source: News Corp Australia
“She was in very bad shape. Terrible shape,” said a friend, who asked not to be named.
“She
had failed to show up to a lunch a couple of days ago and then when I
had seen she hadn’t tweeted in almost a day it was clear something was
wrong.”
"She was in very bad shape. Terrible shape"
Police are believed to have entered Dawson’s up-market
waterfront apartment complex through a back entrance, with diners at
Woolloomooloo Wharf restaurants continuing lunch oblivious to the fact
Dawson had only hours earlier taken her life in a nearby unit.
One waiter at the nearest eatery to Dawson’s apartment said there had been no visible sign of police entry.
A major anti-online bullying advocate, Dawson had long documented her struggles with depression via her Twitter account.
She
had previously had one highly-publicised suicide attempt back in
September 2012, after copping a barrage of abuse on social media.
Since then she had been vocal about her battle with mental illness and also wrote at length about it in her tell-all book Air Kiss And Tell.
A long-time judge on the popular cable modelling series Australia’s Next Top Model, it was announced last year that Dawson would not be returning the show after a cast shake-up.
Dawson with Australia's Next Top Model judges Alex Perry, Sarah Murdoch and Jaz Daly.Source: News Limited
Despite putting on a brave face at the time, friends admitted
Dawson took the axing particularly hard but had recently talked
optimistically about new ventures.
As news broke today of Dawson’s
death, friends rushed to social media to share their grief — with
former international modelling pal and fellow Kiwi Rachel Hunter
writing; “I’m devastated, such an amazing & kind soul.
Heartbreaking!”
Dawson’s former boss at Foxtel, Brian Walsh, also
offered his condolences, releasing a statement that read: “This is
tragic news and deeply sad. Everyone at Foxtel is devastated. Our
sympathies are with Charlotte’s family and friends.”
For support and information about suicide prevention, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
Dawson with good friend Alex Perry and Megan Gale.Source: Supplied
Dawson in a favourite holiday photo.Source: News Limited
A picture is worth a thousand words, but not all
pictures are created equal. These pictures are powerful. They are
gripping and unforgettable because of the volumes they speak about the
human condition – about some of the best and worst moments of
contemporary human existence.
We should warn our readers that some of these pictures may upset
them, while others may fill them with joy. But that’s precisely because
these images reflect some of the best and worst parts of the human
experience and world events.
Some of these photographs may mean more to some of our readers than
to others. But hopefully, they will remind us all that the world can
always use a little bit more love, tolerance, compassion and
understanding.
5. Diego Frazão Torquato, 12 year old Brazilian playing the violin
at his teacher’s funeral. The teacher had helped him escape poverty and
violence through music
11. Indian homeless men wait to receive free food distributed outside a mosque ahead of Eid al-Fitr in New Delhi, India
Image credits: Tsering Topgyal / AP
12. Zanjeer the dog saved thousands of lives during Mumbai serial
blasts in March 1993 by detecting more than 3,329 kgs of the explosive
RDX, 600 detonators, 249 hand grenades and 6406 rounds of live
ammunition. He was buried with full honors in 2000
17. Five-year-old gypsy boy on New Year’s Eve 2006 in the gypsy
community of St. Jacques, Perpignan, Southern France. It is quite common
in St. Jacques for little boys to smoke
18. Hhaing The Yu, 29, holds his face in his hand as rain falls on
the decimated remains of his home near Myanmar’s capital of Yangon
(Rangoon). In May 2008, cyclone Nargis struck southern Myanmar, leaving
millions homeless and claiming more than 100,000 lives
21. An old WW2 Russian tank veteran finally found the old tank in
which he passed through the entire war – standing in a small Russian
town as a monument
27. Russian soldiers preparing for the Battle of Kursk, July 1943
Image credits: Shirak Karapetyan-Milshtein Update: Our reader Leif-Erik pointed out that this photograph was
actually created in 2006-2007 for a photo competition. It is based on
archive photos from the war in Russia in 1941-1945.
28. During massive floods in Cuttack City, India, in 2011, a heroic
villager saved numerous stray cats by carrying them with a basket
balanced on his head
P.S: we always try our best to credit each and every photographer,
but sometimes it’s impossible to track some of them. Please leave a
comment if you know the missing authors.
The super sexy 21-year-old super model recently did a zero gravity shoot in a weightless Zero G airplane for Sports Illustrated's 50th anniversary Swimsuit Issue. The shoot took 4 years to put together.
Photos: James Macari/Sports Illustrated
Kate showed off in a gold bikini from Target. Upton posed seductively as she spun around, looking hotter than ever!
The super model has been SI's cover girl for the past two years and we've been anxiously awaiting this issue. These amazing photographs of Kate are far from disappointing!
Upton also can be seen on the back cover of Sports Illustrated's latest Swimsuit Issue, wearing a pink bikini that definitely shows off her famous curves!
Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, Miles Teller and Jamie Bell are in final negotiations to star in the Fantastic Four reboot, according to multiple reports. While Jordan, 27, has long been attached to play Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Mara, 30, and Teller, 27, tested for the roles of Sue Storm/Invisible Girl and Dr. Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in November. News of Bell's casting comes as a bit of a surprise, however. The 27-year-old actor has been offered the role of Ben Grimm/The Thing.
The movie has been in development since 2009 and will be based on based on the Ultimate Fantastic Four comic. Josh Trank will direct, and Simon Kinberg was hired to polish the script in November.
The Fantastic Four is scheduled for release on June 19, 2015.
Jordan and Teller recently worked together on That Awkward Moment, costarring Zac Efron. Jordan previously appeared in Trank's 2012 directorial debut, Chronicle. Mara, meanwhile, currently in Season 2 of Netflix's House of Cards. Bell next appears in the movie Nymphomaniac and the TV show Turn.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images; Jeff Vespa/WireImage; Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Warner Bros; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for AFI
I want you to do something. I want you to look at a photo. And I want you to tell me what you see.
I'll give you a heads up before you scroll down. The photo is of a naked woman. Yep, naked. Still willing to look?
Let me tell you something else about the naked woman you are about to
see: she's a breast cancer warrior. The body you are about to look at
has a tapestry of scars. You see, there is a story to be told underneath
that red dress.
This week Australian woman, mother of four, Beth Whaanga, took a deep
breath and did something daring. God, more than daring. "Daring"
doesn't do this justice. What Beth did was allow herself to be
completely vulnerable. What she did was extraordinarily, breathtakingly
brave and generous and courageous and if I had a bloody thesaurus I
would insert 1000 more words.
Because Beth took off her clothes and allowed herself to be
photographed by her long-time friend and photographer Nadia Mascot for a
project they are calling Under The Red Dress. In a bid to
educate women about breast cancer. In a bid to start a conversation
about how cancer surgeries change your body and the way you feel about
yourself. In a bid to say - that woman you see at the school gate, that
co-worker in the department near you - it's entirely possible her body
looks like this. It's entirely possible their bodies tell a story that
belies their outward appearance.
What's Beth's story? Well she was diagnosed with breast cancer last
year on her 32nd birthday. She was later told she carries the BRCA2
gene. So in November she went through a double mastectomy and a total
hysterectomy. And now her body tells the tale ...
Here's what Beth had to say on Facebook when she uploaded the images for her friends to see:
"WARNING. These images are confronting and contain topless
material. They are not in anyway meant to be sexual. The aim of this
project is to raise awareness for breast cancer. If you find these
images offensive please hide them from your feed.
Each day we walk past people. These individuals appear normal but
under their clothing sometimes their bodies tell a different story.
Nadia Masot and I aim to find others who are willing to participate in
our project so that we might show others that cancer effects everyone.
The old and the young, age does not matter, self-examination is vital.
It can happen to you."
And this from Nadia:
"In my own work as a photographer, I became thirsty to share
imagery with more meaning and purpose. This was sparked by a private
health battle of my own. I want to be able to help people through my
talents. Beth's journey through her diagnosis and surgery touched me and
I felt like I had something to say. As we were doing the shoot, I felt
inspired that this should not stop here. We pass people in the street
every day and only see their veneer. What they feel comfortable showing
to the world often tells a different story to their private battles. Under the Red Dress
is a project which attempts to tell those silent stories that people
are not only wanting to tell, but that people want to hear. Everybody
likes to be reminded that the person next door is only human, as they
are."
So these photos - they're what I've been staring at for the past hour.
Photographs of a body that has endured a total bilateral mastectomy. A
breast reconstruction. A naval reconstruction. A total hysterectomy. The
ravages of rapid weight loss on her skin. On-going hair loss.
That's what I'm staring at and yet - that's not what I'm seeing.
What I see in each of those images is a woman who is strong. Gutsy.
Determined. A fighter. I see a mother. A sister-in-law. A wife. A
daughter. A best-friend. I see a woman who is beautiful not despite of
her scars but because of them. A woman who is prepared to step into her
own vulnerability in a bid to help other women. To remind them to do
self-exams, to be breast-aware, to help start a conversation about the
insidiousness of breast cancer.
That's what I see when I look at those naked photos of Beth Whaanga.
But not everyone sees that. Some of Beth's friends didn't see that.
In fact, when Beth posted these images on Facebook, 103 of them
UNFRIENDED her immediately. Some felt the images were inappropriate or
even pornographic.
When I first heard this I was baffled. Then angry. But actually I get
it. I do. It's frightening. Unsettling. Disconcerting. And maybe some of
you reading this now feel the same. Maybe you know someone who has had
similar cancer surgeries. Maybe breast cancer runs in your family. Maybe
you're overdue to have a breast exam. Or felt a lump recently and
don't' want to have to think about. Maybe you just don't want to be damn
well reminded about breast cancer. And the easiest thing right now is
to look away. Turn your head. Unfriend the woman who posted those
confronting images. I get it.
But I'm asking you to look back at Beth.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer for women in Australia and the UK.
I'm asking you to look back at Beth.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
I'm asking you to look back.
Because Beth needs our support. She doesn't need to feel in any way
ashamed for doing something so gusty and brave. For doing something
intended to help save lives.
And Beth, I have a message for you: if by doing these photos and
sharing them on Facebook means that one life is saved, if just one woman
does a breast exam or goes to have her mammogram or decides to go to
the doctor to talk about a small lump they noticed last month because
you had the courage to have these photos taken and to share them with
the world ... well, then you're more than just brave. You're a hero in
my books.
If you'd like to get involved in the Under The Red Dress project, check out their Facebook page here.
All photos by Nadia Mascot.
This post originally appeared on mamamia.com.au.
Rebecca Sparrow
