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alietr wrote: ↑Tue May 15, 2018 11:32 am Dapper Tom Wolfe, novelist ("The Right Stuff", "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test") and journalist is dead at 88.

9021amyers wrote: ↑Mon May 14, 2018 11:16 am In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court has ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 unconditional. The law, which placed a federal ban on sports betting in states where it was not already established (namely, Nevada), was challenged by the state of New Jersey. It, along with all other states, are now free to regulate gambling on sports in the manner they wish.

A rare blue diamond that has spent the past 300 years in Europe's royal houses has been sold at auction in Geneva for $6.7m (£5m).

The Farnese Blue was given as a wedding present to Elizabeth Farnese, daughter of the Duke of Parma, when she married Philip V of Spain in 1715.

It then passed down through the generations, moving from Spain to France, Italy and Austria.

The 6.1 carat diamond comes from the famous Golconda mine of India.

It sold after just four minutes of bidding at Sotheby's, easily passing the auction house's estimate of $3.5m-$5m.

"We were expecting a good result but we started from $3.5m and we ended up with $6.7m, so we exceeded our expectation," said Sotheby's jewellery specialist, Daniela Mascetti.

"Good jewels, well-designed, well-made, with a signature, with a perfect... slot in time, in age, do very well."

According to the auctioneers' website, the pear-shaped diamond once formed part of a tiara owned by the ill-fated French Queen Marie Antoinette.

The identity of the new owner has not been revealed.

• 2018 is the last year for the NBA Draft Lottery as currently devised, as the league is attempting to de-emphasize tanking: teams not in playoff contention deliberately play to lose in order to finish with the worst record (and the best lottery odds).
• The Atlanta Hawks were awarded the third pick in the draft: they were represented at the draft lottery by ’80s teen actress Jami Gertz, who alongside her husband is the team’s majority shareholder.

Volante wrote: ↑Tue May 15, 2018 12:18 pm

alietr wrote: ↑Tue May 15, 2018 11:32 am Dapper Tom Wolfe, novelist ("The Right Stuff", "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test") and journalist is dead at 88.

Also Bonfire of the Vanities

MarkBarrett wrote: ↑Wed May 16, 2018 4:00 pm More LL than J!, but Yanny vs. Laurel

If you don't know what this is, you will.

davey wrote: ↑Wed May 16, 2018 2:33 pm

Volante wrote: ↑Tue May 15, 2018 12:18 pm

alietr wrote: ↑Tue May 15, 2018 11:32 am Dapper Tom Wolfe, novelist ("The Right Stuff", "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test") and journalist is dead at 88.

Also Bonfire of the Vanities

The Right Stuff" and "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" are nonfiction. "Bonfire of the Vanities" - definitely a novel

Turks rejoiced. Some Swedes were dismayed. And the revelation set off some good-natured ribbing between the two countries.

“My whole life has been a lie,” one Swede lamented on Twitter.

Volante wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 11:20 pm Elon Musk, a.k.a. Tesla CEO and real life Tony Stark,

cf1140 wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 9:44 am Can someone link the five biggest stories in space news from the last 14 months.

econgator wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 9:48 am

cf1140 wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 9:44 am Can someone link the five biggest stories in space news from the last 14 months.

Or ...