
TikTok's stomach-churning 'turbulence' trend explained
If you thought turbulence on a plane was bad, just wait till you find out what it means on TikTok. That’s right, a trend has emerged whose name was inspired by those unpleasant inflight jolts. Warning: This trend does involve some NSFW material. Head to the video-sharing app, and you’ll find a plethora of clips using the hashtag “turbulence” or close variations. Many of the most viewed options were created by content creator Just Jo, whose videos have been stitched and commented on by the likes of ishowspeed and Kai Cenat who have millions of followers between them. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Indeed, Just Jo is credited with kicking the whole craze off back in 2021. The streamer was performing a dance live on TikTok when he announced that there was a “whole bunch of turbulence” going on. Well, that doesn’t sound so bad, you may say to yourself, but the “dance” in question wasn’t your standard viral routine. Instead, it involved Just Jo slapping his penis loudly from side to side between his thighs – and thus, a new craze was born. Since then, he has published countless follow-ups, showing his skill at rhythmically clapping his gear, getting it to go at top speed, or simply explaining how it's done. @shackav He's unstoppable @JUSTJOOO Turbulence ? #justjoo #turbulence #thugshake #justjoofficial #viral #foryoupage Still, the one saving grace is that the… eh hem… physical mechanisms used to create the “turbulence” are never shown: the videos are filmed from the waist upwards. This leaves the viewer wondering if the slapping sound is really coming from the implied NSFW source, or whether it’s down to a pair of hands belonging to a hidden participant. Regardless, all we can say is this “turbulence” stuff is enough to turn anyone’s stomach. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

The fascinating mystery of Finland’s 'floating' pines
It looks like something straight out of a René Magritte gallery, but a black and white photo showing lines of trees floating over a dirt track is no surrealist masterpiece. Indeed, it’s not an optical illusion at all, but evidence of a carefully constructed war tactic. The picture was taken in 1941 by a Finnish photographer called Osvald Hedenström, as his nation tried to shield itself from the might of neighbouring Stalinist Russia during World War II. A year earlier, Finland had reluctantly agreed to fight alongside Nazi Germany in a bid to protect itself from Soviet invasion, and Hedenström was fighting under German command when he found himself beneath the mysterious levitating pines. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “The Finns didn’t have funds to buy artificial camouflage such as nets in vast quantities,” military historian Colonel Petteri Jouko told Atals Obscura, “So they used trees, leaves, and foliage to confuse the enemy.” Of course, camouflage is nothing new, and military fatigues are designed to mimic the colour and patterns of surrounding landscapes. But why are the trees suspended in thin air? And how on earth did they get them up there? According to Hedenström’s caption to the photo: “The Finns have camouflaged the road to Raate, about 10 km from Russia, with pines hanging in the air, because right on the border there is an observation tower erected by the Russians.” The trees were strategically placed to ensure that they wouldn’t block the road from a plane flying overhead, but could obscure the view from the nearby enemy tower. In fact, the pines were hung from wires which were connected to a series of poles (which, if you look carefully you can see), on the right-hand side of the road. Because of the angle of Hedenström’s snap, the cables on the first row of trees are hidden, which gives the impression that they’re being held up by sheer magic. The image is now part of the Finnish Defence Force’s photographic Archive, which contains some 160,000 photos captured between 1939 and 1945, when Finland fought two separate wars against the Soviet Union. It features other examples of clever concealment – thanks to Mother Nature – including a battleship which almost melts into surrounding forest land, and other examples of floating trees. In the end, Finland’s mastery of camouflage was among the key defences which helped it inflict humiliating losses on the Red Army and, ultimately, preserve its freedom. So, Vladimir Putin, take note: these guys know a thing or two about fighting off invasions. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

Meghan Markle's latest career move has people thinking she's joined WWE
The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has got people doing a double take with her latest career move, with many mistakenly thinking she has joined WWE. In a report from Variety, Meghan has signed up for representation with the Hollywood talent agency WME, in what will be seen as a lucrative acquisition for the company, which already boasts clients such as Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and tennis great Serena Williams. Meghan's team at WME will include Endeavor CEO Ari Emmanuel as well as top agents Jill Smoller and Brad Slater. While she does have experience as an actor a return to that field is not thought to be on the agenda. Film and television and brand partnerships are more likely to be explored. Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter While this is obviously intriguing news from a Meghan and Harry perspective, the news has sideswiped a few people who have mistakenly read WME as 'WWE' aka World Wrestling Entertainment leading to some very puzzled reactions. Just for the record, Meghan Markle has not signed with WWE although we do think she'd have great promo skills and would love to see her work a program with Dominik Mysterio. You never know, maybe her new colleague The Rock could give her some tips. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

Hasbulla arrested in Russia for 'unbridled wedding fun'
Social media personality Hasbulla Magomedov has been arrested in Russia for driving offences committed after a wedding celebration. 20-year-old Hasbulla is from Russia and was arrested in his native Dagestan, a Republic of Russia, in an incident involving a group of his friends celebrating a wedding. According to reports, Hasbulla and friends blocked a main road in order to do doughnuts. Since his arrest, Hasbulla apologised for the incident on social media and confirmed it wasn’t him driving. He tweeted: “That won't happen again, people we apologise. We had to answer for it a little bit. I wasn't driving either.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter According to Dagestan’s Internal Affairs Ministry, the act of blocking a road to burn rubber is a common form of celebration after a wedding and added that wedding emotions got the better of those arrested. The statement read: “Unbridled wedding fun in Dagestan is known to many and far beyond the borders of the republic.” It continued: “In the absence of other ways of entertainment, such a primitive option is still extremely popular - blocking roads for other road users, burning rubber, smashing cars against each other and many other features that, in fact, have nothing to do with the celebration.” Footage of the incident was shared online and showed the social media star in a car blocking the road, while another vehicle from his party did donuts in the road in front. The statement from Dagestan’s Internal Affairs Ministry continued, explaining: “All participants of 'wedding emotions', as they themselves call it, were taken to the police, and in relation to them, employees of the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan drew up administrative protocols for all violations.” It’s not the first time in recent months that Hasbulla’s actions have caused a stir. A few months ago the star came under fire after a clip appeared to show him abusing a cat. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

People are obsessing over the man with the mullet and moustache at the coronation
Eagle-eyed social media spectators of King Charles III's coronation couldn't take their eyes off one guest, leaving them wondering who it was. The grey-haired man was sporting a mullet and moustache while sitting alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber. His look was completed with a pair of tinted sunglasses. Almost immediately, viewers turned to Twitter, asking who the mysterious "cool" man was, with one joking: "Meghan, you’re not fooling us…" Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Sadly it wasn't her as earlier this month, the palace said in a statement: "Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet." The man is, of course, Sir Karl Jenkins, composer and instrumentalist. The 79-year-old composed a piece for Charles' coronation titled 'Tros y Garreg', translating to 'Crossing the Stone'. "I am very honoured. It obviously sums up Welsh culture - the harp - and he [the King] has always supported Welsh music," he told the BBC ahead of the event. "I don't know whether he chose it, but he was happy to have it there. I know he likes it otherwise he wouldn't have asked me." He spoke about the late Queen's 1953 coronation, saying: "We had one of the first TV screens in the street, in the village I guess...12in (30cm) screen, two rows of friends and neighbours watching." He added: "I am very honoured. It obviously sums up Welsh culture - the harp - and he [the King] has always supported Welsh music," said Sir Karl. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
1970-01-01 08:00

Dragonfly-backed Crypto Trading Platform Finblox (FBX) Token Sells Out, Unveils FinGPT AI Tool Ahead of Launch
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 15, 2023--
1970-01-01 08:00

Column-Yuan won't be FX reserve currency if no one buys China's bonds: McGeever
By Jamie McGeever ORLANDO, Florida China's yuan faces significant long-term obstacles to becoming a global reserve currency of
1970-01-01 08:00

Join Mouser Electronics at Embedded Vision Summit 2023
DALLAS & FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 15, 2023--
1970-01-01 08:00

China April industrial output rises 5.6%, retail sales jump 18.4%; below expectations
BEIJING China's industrial output grew 5.6% in April from a year earlier, official data showed on Tuesday, missing
1970-01-01 08:00

New Zealand set to reveal bigger deficit in 'no frills' 2023-24 budget
By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON New Zealand Labour government is set to reveal a worse budget bottom line and
1970-01-01 08:00

Australia's central bank hiked in May due to inflation risks, more raises may be required
SYDNEYAustralia's central bank decided to hike at its May meeting due to inflation risks from weak productivity growth,
1970-01-01 08:00

FTC to block Amgen's deal to acquire Horizon Therapeutics - source
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is expected to file a lawsuit as early as Tuesday to block
1970-01-01 08:00