Computers and the internet

A father who eventually became frustrated with the way things were going on a family vacation he paid for was backed by fellow Reddit users on the popular "Am I the A**hole" forum for leaving and booking a hotel room for himself. "AITA for leaving my family in 'squalor' and going to a 'resort,'" u/Murky_Ad_193 asked in his post , which amassed more than 11,000 votes since it was published on Wednesday. He said he decided to pay for a vacation that included his immediate family and several in-laws. When things went downhill, u/Murky_Ad_193, who heard nothing but complaints, decided to book a room at a hotel. Difficult Family Members When dealing with difficult family members, a piece published by Psychology Today said it is not worth trying to "fix" them. "Sometimes it works, but often your efforts will not be rewarded," the outlet said. "In fact, trying to fix someone or make their life better may become a huge headache, since the more you do for them, the more they … [Read more...] about Internet Backs Dad Who Left ‘Ungrateful’ Family In ‘Squalor’ On Vacation

The Defense Department said Wednesday that it had awarded lucrative cloud-computing contracts to four companies: Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle. The contracts run through 2028 and could be valued as high as $9 billion, the Pentagon said in a news release. The work is for a new cloud architecture called the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability, which would provide the Defense Department with cloud services “across all security domains and classification levels.” The decision to award contracts to four companies was a shift for the Pentagon, three years after it had given a $10 billion cloud-computing contract to Microsoft. That contract, for the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, known as JEDI, became part of a legal battle over claims that President Donald J. Trump interfered in a process that favored Microsoft over its rival bidder, Amazon. “This is the biggest cloud Beltway deal in history and was a key deal to win for all the software vendors in this multiyear … [Read more...] about Pentagon Divides Big Cloud-Computing Deal Among 4 Firms

A man received the support of his fellow Redditors after he went out to a restaurant he and his wife wanted to go for his 30th birthday dinner—without his wife. His post , which he published to the Subreddit "Am I the A**hole" forum, went viral and garnered more than 23,000 votes. The user Level-Sky8422 wrote that he and his pregnant wife made a reservation at a nice restaurant, but her friend wanted to hang out with her for the day. "I reminded her that it's my birthday but she just dismissed it saying my birthday comes every year but her friend will be leaving for Germany in a few weeks," Level-Sky8422 wrote. "I told her that she could go after my birthday as well but she did not listen and just went to a sleepover at her friend's place." Though upset, the Redditor decided to ask his own friend to spend the day together for his birthday and the two went to the restaurant for dinner. After his wife came home from her friend's house, Level-Sky8422 wrote that she apologized to … [Read more...] about Internet Backs Man Who Went to Birthday Dinner With Friend Instead of Wife

A corgi has been filmed getting into the Christmas spirit as he bops along with his favorite festive toy. In a viral video posted by @wrigleyfluffycorgi, a TikTok page dedicated to the corgi, he can be seen excitedly bopping along, seemingly with a smile on his face while Snoopy wearing a Santa suit plays music. The adorable video has been watched by 4.9 million people and has racked up 9,220 likes. Christmas Safety for Dogs It is clear Wrigley is keen to join in on the Christmas fun, but dog owners should be aware of the potential dangers that can come with Christmas decorations. Purina, an American pet care company, has highlighted some of the risks that come with the festive season and how to avoid injuries. It wouldn't be Christmas without a tree but some dogs may look at it as a giant toy or perhaps something new to urinate on. It is important for owners to dog-proof their decorated trees to prevent their furry friends from getting tangled in the wires by … [Read more...] about Obsessed corgi “dancing” with Christmas toy delights internet

The entire population of a plane taking part in the mannequin challenge has been applauded online. In a video shared to TikTok by @toxicweapons on November 23, every passenger on the plane can be seen taking part in the internet trend, in which people stand completely still in various poses—like a mannequin. In the short clip, everyone from the passengers to the cabin crew is completely motionless, with poses ranging from fake phone calls to a fight. Since being posted, the footage has received 4.7 million views and more than 840,000 likes from TikTok users impressed by the travelers' dedication. What is the Mannequin Challenge? The mannequin challenge first went viral in October 2016. It was believed to have begun at Edward H. White High School in Jacksonville, Florida, where a group of teens shared footage of themselves to Twitter using the hashtag #mannequinchallenge. The trend soon went viral, with many people soundtracking their own mannequin challenges with the … [Read more...] about Laughter as cabin crew join plane passengers in the mannequin challenge

A woman's decision to possibly skip their step-sister's wedding has been slammed online. In a viral post to the U.K.-based discussion forum Mumsnet, which can be seen here , user HR313 explained they had fallen out with their stepmother but were now invited to their step-sister's wedding. HR313 added the family had celebrated the father's 60th birthday at a holiday lodge, but that there was a big falling that led them to no longer speak. User HR313 explained they had received an invitation to attend part of her step-sister's wedding—something that was interpreted as an "olive branch." Rima Barakeh, wedding expert and deputy editor of Hitched.co.uk told Newsweek the, invitation needed to be carefully considered: "This may very well be the family holding out an olive branch. "Could they be using the wedding reception invite as a way to make amends and put the family argument to bed? "If so, you need to consider how declining the wedding invitation may come across to them. … [Read more...] about Woman declining invite to stepsister’s wedding branded “unreasonable”

A woman in Spain has been made to regret her use of social media after a video posted to TikTok wound up getting her fired. According to local reports, the High Court of Justice of Castile and León ratified the dismissal of an unnamed female supermarket employee who lost her job after videos surfaced on TikTok of her dancing at a time when she was supposed to be off work with lower back pain. Social media screening is an increasingly common component of the recruitment process for companies in the U.S. According to a study by business services website The Manifest , 90 percent of recruiters consider social media output to be an important factor when considering an individual. The same research also revealed 79 percent of HR officials admit to having rejected a candidate due to their social media content. The need to keep things professional on the likes of Facebook , Twitter and TikTok has been further highlighted by this latest incident being reported out of Spain. … [Read more...] about Woman off work with back pain fired after posting dancing videos on TikTok

[What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox .] In the last few months, the 18 jurors at the drug conspiracy trial of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, the Mexican kingpin known as El Chapo, have been inundated with evidence exposing the innermost secrets of his global narco-empire. But on Wednesday, the panel got a riveting and unexpected look at something even more revealing: dozens of text messages Mr. Guzmán sent to his wife and mistress. The private messages — obtained by the F.B.I. with the assistance of an info-tech expert who worked for Mr. Guzmán — painted an astonishing portrait of the crime lord not only as a serial philanderer, but also as a man who, mixing sex and business, relied on the women in his life to help him conduct his daily operations. In one set of messages, Mr. Guzmán and his wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, cooed together over the cuteness of their twin baby daughters and then, in a flash, discussed whether his soldiers had been … [Read more...] about Drug Kingpin Used Spyware to Monitor His Wife and Mistress, Jurors Told

By her early 20s, Jen Glantz had been a bridesmaid almost a dozen times. One night, two distant friends asked her to be a bridesmaid for them, and she found herself venting to her roommate. "My roommate said, 'Duh, Jen, that's because you're good at it. You're like a professional bridesmaid or something,'" Glantz told Newsweek . Her roommate's words sparked an idea: If she could be a bridesmaid for distant friends, why not for strangers? That night she posted an ad on Craigslist offering her services as a hired bridesmaid. In just 48 hours, Glantz received over 300 responses and booked her first client. Today, Glantz, the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire and author of Always a Bridesmaid for Hire , offers brides a hand to hold on the biggest day of their lives. "Strangers hire us to be their bridesmaid for the day," Glantz said. "But the job is much more than that. We do all the things a bridesmaid would do—walk down the aisle, wear the dress, give a toast, dance on the dance … [Read more...] about Inside life as a professional bridesmaid: “Bride locked me in a room”

Marriage is hard enough with all of life's stressors but toss in a deep, dark secret and it could be disastrous. A woman claimed her husband of three years kept a huge secret that many said could have sinister undertones. "We've been married for 3 years and I only just found out recently that before we got married my husband ran a background check on me and my family," the user who goes by @sherlockholmes498 wrote in the "Am I the A**hole (AITA)" forum. She explained that she borrowed her husband's laptop while on a family vacation. It's then she discovered a folder, "full of reports on me, my family (including extended family) and two of my childhood friends." "I read as much of the reports as I could before my husband and his family came home for the day," she said. "At first, I was just hurt he would do something like this without talking to me first but as I read more and started finding out things about my family and friends that I never even knew, I started to get angry. … [Read more...] about A Redditor Says Her Husband Ordered Secret Background Checks On Her