Latest news with #WildWest
Buzz Feed
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
15 Cities Got Roasted By ChatGPT And I Threw In Some Heat Too
I was bored, the group chats were dry, and it had been way too long since I watched something—or someone—get absolutely torched. So, I turned to ChatGPT and asked it to roast some of the world's most famous cities, without any filters or disclaimers. Forget about the Wild Wild West, this is Wild Wild AI. And of course, I've thrown in a few of my own *ahem ahem* thoughts along the way, because some of these hit a little too close to home. Paris Can we talk about the weird judgment around asking for milk? Like, what is Paris' deal with people who want a cappuccino after noon? If you're really the city of love, then let me romanticise my coffee, whenever I want please. New York Two things I'd actively avoid in the city: the subway (obviously) and the potholes, because I've seen that video of rats dragging entire slices of pizza under them, and I haven't recovered since. But I can go to have the infamous New York slice. London Honestly, if I had to be a city during one of my emotional rollercoaster phases, it'd be this one. Moody, dramatic, sometimes cold, but somehow still comforting in a weird, tea-and-toast kind of way. And while we're here, can we stop pretending baked beans are a crime? They're actually kind of great (don't hate me for this). Los Angeles Now this city? This one's the ultimate cover-up. Because underneath all the sunshine and smoothies, it's the place where everyone's trying to fit into something. A role or an image. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if babies in LA popped out asking, 'So when's my casting call?' Dubai Whenever I hear the word Dubai, one thing immediately comes to mind: Labubu matcha pistachio kunafa chocolate. Yes, I'm a woman of culture, obviously. Tokyo Tokyo feels like the one city that's this close to fully replacing humans with robots. They're already everywhere—serving food, guiding traffic, bowing politely—so honestly, the only thing left is building luxury high-rises for them and handing out robot citizenship cards. Mumbai Ah, Mumbai, the so-called city of hustle and bustle. The Indian LA. The city that never sleeps, which, let's be honest, is a lie. Mumbai absolutely it's also the only city where I'll happily stand on the side of the road with a paper cup of kadak chai in one hand and a vada pav in the other. Rome It's almost ironic, really. The place that gave us the saying 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do' seems to have forgotten it itself. The Romans do… exactly what they've always done. Like they hit pause sometime after Caesar and never really hit play again. Berlin Every time I hear the name of this city, a loud, pulsing techno track just starts playing in my head, completely uninvited. It's like my brain has permanently associated the place with flashing lights at 3 a.m. and the sound of bass echoing through a concrete warehouse. I think I have a collective internet brain. Sydney I cannot be the only one who immediately tries to pronounce Vegemite in the thickest Aussie accent possible every time I hear it. It's like a reflex. That, and thinking about bugs. So many bugs. Hong Kong Hong Kong kind of feels like the gifted kid who peaked early and has been hustling ever since to prove they've still got it. From a distance, it's polished, efficient, and looks like it has its life very together. But get a little closer and you can feel the stress radiating off the glass buildings. Like it's trying to hold it all in… with a perfectly ironed blazer. Amsterdam The moment someone mentions Amsterdam, my brain short-circuits trying to process an image of a plate piled high with stroopwafels and Dutch cheese, I swear, even the cheese has its own museum. You'll dodge more bikes than cars and somehow leave with 47 photos of the same bridge. Seoul Seoul life always looks so tempting in K-dramas: cute coworker at the office, late-night beer and fried chicken with your bestie, glowing skin and perfect outfits. It's all so aesthetic it almost feels scripted. But then there's the flip side, that crushing social pressure to look flawless 24/7. Like, I love a good sheet mask, but I also love having pores. Let me live. Istanbul This city might be a little confused, caught between continents, history, and identity, but there's one thing it's crystal clear about: its kebabs and its deep, unapologetic love for spices. I believe its kebabs are also as roasted as this response from AI, to perfection. São Paulo The city is running on pastel, pão de queijo, and pure adrenaline. Between Avenida Paulista, Ibirapuera Park, and all-night samba spots, there's barely time not to feel like you've had five espressos. Well, it wasn't just the cities that got emotionally dismantled, I'm pretty sure the people from them need a moment too. We joke because we care. Or at least because we've all thought it, and now we've said it!
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Energy giants have questions to answer over zonal pricing
For the Highlands, the proposal ticked boxes. In a region with a colder climate, in which an estimated 33% of households in Highland experience fuel poverty, and have higher costs of living and lower incomes, the possibility of lower energy bills was attractive. Especially given that costs for those in the Highlands and Islands are higher, because of greater dependence on electricity and heating oil than mains gas. Even the unstinting efforts of Changeworks, Home Energy Scotland, the Energy Saving Trust and other advice services can only partially mitigate the difficulties faced by many. But now Energy and Climate Change Minister Ed Miliband has rejected Zonal Pricing, asserting that 'a fair, secure, affordable and efficient electricity system' can only be achieved through a reformed pricing system. Read more: The way to escape from dependence on 'fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators' is through a single national (UK) wholesale price. The dreaded 'Postcode Lottery' had to be avoided. And there was no guarantee Zonal Pricing would bring lower bills for anyone. Scottish Secretary Ian Murray praised the decision, citing a 'predictable climate for investment'. Consumers will, he insisted, 'feel the benefit of Labour's clean energy mission.' Bigger energy players agreed: Centrica have called it 'common-sense' and SSE's Martin Pibworth has said zonal pricing would have slowed the clean power transition, 'making energy bills more expensive.' The Inverness Courier responded with alacrity and condemnation: 'Labour's Ed Miliband has ruled out zonal pricing that could have cut Scotland's soaring energy bills because it would be 'unfair' to areas like the Midlands and South of England that consume the most power … the move could have a significant impact on next year's Holyrood election … over-charging Highland residents for electricity that is generated in the region.' Ed Miliband has come under fire over the decision. (Image: Newsquest) It's also worth noting that the SNP has carefully avoided backing zonal pricing – Kate Forbes and John Swinney, while predictably critical of Miliband, have steered clear, after the mess they made of Scotwind leases for offshore wind rights, underselling by, some say, £60 billion. While co-operation between UK and Scottish Governments is essential, criticism of Ed Miliband's statement is hypocrisy. All the same, UK Labour will need a good wind in its sails if it wishes to persuade voters with its reformed national pricing regime, changes to transmission charging and more planned infrastructure development. For starters, it must reassure the thousands already unconvinced by the bitter contrast between talk of a 'just transition' and the 150-metre-plus wind turbines marching implacably through their glen, trailing substations behind. Except these are not Labour Government developments. Among Mrs Thatcher's many gifts to us was a Wild West Energy marketplace, and the very corpulent corporations currently invading rural Scotland are not bringing power to the glens for the nation, like Tom Johnston, but seeking profit with a greenwashed prospectus. And the UK Government is not the major player here, its partnership with Big Energy looking a bit uneven. Ed Miliband's department is promising eligible households within 500 metres of electricity transmission infrastructure discounts on their bills, with further compensation to come. Read more: Will this be enough? I want to see UK Labour deliver its proposals for 'a transformative Community Energy programme' – community-led renewables and a 20% community share of large-scale projects. I want an end to Constraint payments adding to consumers' bills, when the Grid infrastructure isn't up to the job and turbine sails move uselessly around like Tories canvassing at elections. The challenges of rural living remain, and must be addressed. One of the most authoritative studies is the 2023 report by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, The cost of living: impact on rural communities in Scotland. And the Scottish Human Rights Commission's 2024 report on life in the Highlands and Islands stands in stark judgement on all levels of government. Energy costs loom large in these important documents. But the biggest questions should be asked of those corporate giants of Scottish energy, whose lobbying is ever on behalf of shareholders and profits. Their campaigning and threatening have worked so far, but their cynicism, seeing communities as anonymous cattle to be milked, must now be lessened by more realistic community shares. Zonal pricing, Big Energy claimed, risked hindering investment, diverting time and resources, bringing volatility, market instability and probably plagues of frogs. Well, SSEN (profits £2.4bn.) E-ON (£3bn) EDF (£8.5bn) and Scottish Power (£1.2bn) now have to walk the walk, and deliver on their promises to help consumers and build an age of clean power. Michael Gregson is a Labour councillor for Inverness Central
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
I quit corporate to pursue my dream job but failed. 4 years later, I left the corporate world again and achieved my dream.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Vivienne Errington-Barnes, the 38-year-old CEO of an event planning agency in the UK. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Before becoming the CEO and founder of a global luxury event planning agency, I worked in program management in the investment banking industry for six years. The pay was great, but the day-to-day work wasn't fun — it was a bit boring. One day, I thought, You know what? I'm going to pivot to a completely new life. I quit my job and started my first event company. I started running events for the queer lesbian scene in London I'd always had an interest in planning events. Growing up, I was the one planning my birthdays, holiday celebrations, and get-togethers with friends. One summer day in 2016, I was walking around Whitechapel, London, looking for an indoor soccer court to host a lesbian soccer tournament — soccer is huge in the lesbian community — when I stumbled across a basement with a BB gun range. It was super intricate — set up like a fake village, almost like a Wild West movie set. I remember thinking, This place feels like the size of an airport. I asked a guy who was mopping the floor, "Hey, can I throw an event here? How much would it cost me per night?" He said I could for £500. When I heard that, I thought, "I'm quitting my job immediately." That was the catalyst for starting my first event company, Django Bango, with my then-girlfriend and my ex-girlfriend. We ran events for the queer lesbian scene in London, and they got popular quickly. We had multiple restaurants inside, several bars, live immersive actors, and a band. It was an amazing, incredible time. It was very cool, and thousands of people came. My first event business failed It taught me a lot because it was the first time I charged for event tickets. We were generating a lot of revenue, but the profit margin was so low. Our biggest expenses were paying staff — our security, actors, greeters, DJs, band performers, and cleanup crew. The second biggest cost was alcohol and food. We were so green and inexperienced, and we didn't really have a budget. We didn't know what we'd made until three months after the events had finished. We barely made anything — just a few thousand dollars after over a dozen events. It's a hard business. It was stressful and ended up destroying my relationship with my girlfriend. We were constantly monitoring who was doing what and figuring out which tasks were more important. I learned that I don't ever want a cofounder again; when someone else has veto power over your business, it'll never be 100% equal. I pivoted back into the corporate world Within six months, I chose to return to a career working for someone else — this time in tech. I held C-level roles at several startups, and my last role was Chief of Staff at a meditation app called Calm in 2019. It felt good going back to corporate. I felt as if I had gone after my dream of event planning; although it didn't work out, I tried, and I no longer needed to do it full-time. While working in tech, I continued throwing events on the side. Some of the people I met in the industry — affluent individuals — asked if I could plan an event for them and offered to pay me. That was the first time this new business model entered my mind. Before, we produced events and got paid by selling tickets. With my business model now, a client approaches us saying, "Hey, I want to throw an event. Here's the budget, and here's your fee." There's no financial risk to us. When I ran my first event business, I couldn't comprehend the idea that people would pay us to throw an event with a budget of anywhere between $20,000 and $7 million. In 2020, I left the corporate world to do events again full-time, but now with a new, working model. Now I run a luxury event planning company I have a very clear process that's been shaped by every lesson I've learned over the years. When I plan events today, nothing slips through the cracks. There are things that can happen that you can't control, like bad weather. But out of the things you can control, our formula has been built from those lessons. We're a luxury event planning company because we deliver high-quality events. I'm planning an event for a wedding anniversary party, and the couple wants it to be themed as a corporate conference, so there's going to be swag about their relationship and a fireside chat. I just love that for them — it's so brave and original. There will be people who try to negotiate our pricing down, but I've learned we really only want to work on things that are worth our time. If people try to nickel and dime you down to the point where you won't be able to deliver the level of quality that you're known for, it's not worth it. Do you have a story to share about leaving a solid career for your own venture and failing? Contact this editor, Jane Zhang, at janezhang@
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Love Island's Wild West party ‘gave away' who gets dumped tonight, say fans
LOVE Island fans are convinced they have figured out who will get dumped from the villa next. One clever fan has pointed out how the Wild West party that took place in the Love Island villa during last night's episode 'gave away' who gets dumped tonight. Advertisement 4 Fans think last night's Wild West themed party and task was a huge clue Credit: Eroteme 4 The Islanders were dressed in wild west-themed attire Credit: Eroteme 4 Fans are convinced they know who's going home Credit: Eroteme Donned in pre-loved cowboy core outfits, the Islanders were tasked with ranking the couples in a fun-filled game amid the western-themed party. But fans think the Wild West theme might point towards who will get dumped from the Island. "Wild West Party is shaping up to be Toni's send off," someone on Reddit speculated, alongside a cowboy and a US flag emoji. The original poster went on: "It's not a totally random theme given how much country symbolism is taking up culture today but it tracks well as a way to dump the show's first ever American Islander." Advertisement Read More about Love Island "If the final twist in the game is that the bombshell has to couple up with a boy left on the podium for 'least likely to last outside the villa', it's very probable that she'll have been told to pick Harrison. "We know Toni comes across as a producer fave but it's clear her journey with love is over, and this is a more sensational way of dumping her from the island than, say, a villa vote which would definitely target her," they went on. The original poster concluded: "It's a shame that Harrison has ruined her journey this way. a shame too that she let him. Will miss you Toni soprano. I loved your rights and wrongs x." Reacting to the post, fans of the show were quick to comment in agreement with the speculation. Advertisement Most read in Love Island "That's actually a really smart observation," said one. While a second said: "All of this makes way too much sense. 'What is that-' ask baffled fans after Love Island's Lauren confronts Harrison over love triangle with Toni "Also someone else on here said in the beach hut, it looked like Shakira had been crying. "I genuinely cannot stand the idea that after all this, it's not Harrison being dumped!! Toni also being the closest person to Shakira, it's going to be even more lonely in there for her." Advertisement This comes after The Sun revealed that Harrison has sensationally decided to leave the villa. Current couples in the Love Island villa The current couples in the Love Island villa are as follows: Shakira and Conor Toni and Harrison Lauren and Ty Meg and Dejon Yasmin and Jamie Helena and Harry Billykiss and Boris Emma and Cach Harrison left the villa late on Thursday night and will be heading home soon, with his exit scenes yet to air. A source told us: "It's been a momentous few days for Harrison and ultimately he has decided to quit. Advertisement "Everyone was so shocked and people were crying and hugging him. "He worked through everything with the ITV duty of care team and is making his way home to his family now." While in the villa, Harrison was slammed by fans for being embroiled in the love triangle with Toni and Lauren. He had formed a bond with Toni as soon as he entered the villa, but then got close to Helena before going back to Toni. Advertisement Casa Amor then came around and both Toni and Harrison got their heads turned. Toni by Cach and Harrison by Lauren. 4 Fans think they've figured out what will happen in tonight's episode Credit: Eroteme
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Love Island's Wild West party ‘gave away' who gets dumped tonight, say fans
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LOVE Island fans are convinced they have figured out who will get dumped from the villa next. One clever fan has pointed out how the Wild West party that took place in the Love Island villa during last night's episode 'gave away' who gets dumped tonight. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Fans think last night's Wild West themed party and task was a huge clue Credit: Eroteme 4 The Islanders were dressed in wild west-themed attire Credit: Eroteme 4 Fans are convinced they know who's going home Credit: Eroteme Donned in pre-loved cowboy core outfits, the Islanders were tasked with ranking the couples in a fun-filled game amid the western-themed party. But fans think the Wild West theme might point towards who will get dumped from the Island. "Wild West Party is shaping up to be Toni's send off," someone on Reddit speculated, alongside a cowboy and a US flag emoji. The original poster went on: "It's not a totally random theme given how much country symbolism is taking up culture today but it tracks well as a way to dump the show's first ever American Islander." "If the final twist in the game is that the bombshell has to couple up with a boy left on the podium for 'least likely to last outside the villa', it's very probable that she'll have been told to pick Harrison. "We know Toni comes across as a producer fave but it's clear her journey with love is over, and this is a more sensational way of dumping her from the island than, say, a villa vote which would definitely target her," they went on. The original poster concluded: "It's a shame that Harrison has ruined her journey this way. a shame too that she let him. Will miss you Toni soprano. I loved your rights and wrongs x." Reacting to the post, fans of the show were quick to comment in agreement with the speculation. "That's actually a really smart observation," said one. While a second said: "All of this makes way too much sense. 'What is that-' ask baffled fans after Love Island's Lauren confronts Harrison over love triangle with Toni "Also someone else on here said in the beach hut, it looked like Shakira had been crying. "I genuinely cannot stand the idea that after all this, it's not Harrison being dumped!! Toni also being the closest person to Shakira, it's going to be even more lonely in there for her." This comes after The Sun revealed that Harrison has sensationally decided to leave the villa. Footballer Harrison Solomon, 22, decided to leave the show after being involved in a hugely dramatic love triangle with Toni and Casa Amor bombshell Lauren. Current couples in the Love Island villa The current couples in the Love Island villa are as follows: Shakira and Conor Toni and Harrison Lauren and Ty Meg and Dejon Yasmin and Jamie Helena and Harry Billykiss and Boris Emma and Cach Harrison left the villa late on Thursday night and will be heading home soon, with his exit scenes yet to air. A source told us: "It's been a momentous few days for Harrison and ultimately he has decided to quit. "Everyone was so shocked and people were crying and hugging him. "He worked through everything with the ITV duty of care team and is making his way home to his family now." While in the villa, Harrison was slammed by fans for being embroiled in the love triangle with Toni and Lauren. He had formed a bond with Toni as soon as he entered the villa, but then got close to Helena before going back to Toni. Casa Amor then came around and both Toni and Harrison got their heads turned. Toni by Cach and Harrison by Lauren.
