July 17, 08:48

Raccoon named Jimothy gains popularity in Seattle after being filmed

Kiana Hall, while filming a small animal that had escaped from under a car on a Monday night in Seattle, Washington, created a new social media celebrity. Initially, she thought it was a cat, but the animal turned out to be a raccoon with a peculiar appearance.

First Sightings and Virality

The 33-year-old confessed to The Seattle Times that she was quite confused by what she saw, as she had never seen such an animal. She and her companion found the creature around 8:30 PM (local time) while walking. The animal, smaller than a domestic cat and notably round, ran across the lawn and climbed a staircase before disappearing. Kiana Hall assumed it was a raccoon with short spine syndrome, given its physical build.

The next day, she posted the videos on social media, and the clip of Jimothy quickly went viral. Hall justified the name, saying he 'had a Jimothy look.' A resident later identified Jimothy as the same animal that surveillance cameras had recorded in the previous month, moving around the yard. Furthermore, several other residents shared their own photos of Jimothy on the Reddit social network, with the oldest record dating back to October 2023.

Kiana Hall expressed great satisfaction at having shared something online that made many people happy, but expressed hope that Jimothy could continue to live freely and in good health. Marcie Logsdon, a professor at the University Veterinary Hospital of the State University of Washington, assessed that Jimothy appears to be well and is 'very agile.' Although the scholar could not make a formal diagnosis, she confirmed that the raccoon's abnormally short neck is likely the result of a congenital spinal deformity.

The professor highlighted that the fact that the animal has reached this age indicates that it is adapting well, and she felt 'surprised and, frankly, a little inspired by how resilient it is.' Logsdon advised that the best thing for Jimothy is to 'leave him to his fate,' recommending that anyone concerned about the animal's health contact a wildlife rehabilitation center before attempting to intervene. She concluded that raccoons are remarkable for the way they adapt and share urban and suburban spaces, emphasizing that this sharing must be maintained respectfully.

uza.uzJuly 17, 16:09

Monthly beautification and good neighborliness campaign launched in Surkhondaryo region

Events under the 'Beautification and Good Neighborliness in the Quarter' month have begun in the Surkhondaryo region, launched to ensure the fulfillment of tasks defined at the video selection meeting chaired by the President.

Main objectives of the events

The meeting discussed priority areas of work aimed at accelerating beautification works in the quarters, creating a safe and comfortable environment for residents, maintaining the sanitary condition of territories, and improving engineering and communication infrastructure.

Specific assignments

Responsible persons were given clear tasks for the systematic organization of such works as repairing internal roads, improving water and electricity supply, organizing irrigation networks, cleaning quarters from garbage, caring for trees and bushes, and landscaping the territories.

Emphasis on public participation

It was emphasized that beautification activities must be carried out with the participation of the population, and special attention is paid to ensuring freedom and order in every quarter, on every street, and in every house.

Employee encouragement

In addition, the meeting included an award ceremony for a group of employees who demonstrated an example in implementing the principle of 'Safe Territory'. In particular, the preventive inspector of the 'Guliston' quarter of Termiz city, Odil Jabborov, was solemnly awarded the rank of captain early, according to the relevant order of the Minister of Internal Affairs.

iol.co.zaJuly 17, 16:00

Buyers criticize Kylie Jenner's new collection of luxury metallic bikinis over high price

Kylie Jenner has unveiled her new bikini collection. Appearing on social media, she showcased her 'dreamy bikinis,' which meet the expectations for a celebrity collection launch: they are shiny, minimalist, and evoke a yachting vacation look.

Collection Details and Design

One of the most discussed models is the Elena Micro Metallic Bikini. This design features adjustable shoulder straps, thin back ties, and minimal coverage, intended to reduce the visibility of tan lines. The bikinis are available in Chrome, Pink Chrome, Black Chrome, and Vintage Leopard colors. The metallic finish is designed to create an effect of liquid shine in sunlight.

Pricing Concerns

However, buyers have been alarmed by the high price tag. The bikini top costs $110, while the matching bottoms range from $90 to $95. Thus, a complete set will cost approximately $200, equivalent to about R3,300. Many consumers have begun comparing this design with more affordable alternatives, such as those found on Shein, for significantly less money.

Composition and Marketing

The collection is positioned as a blend of vintage silhouettes with modern metallic accents. The material consists of 85% recycled polyester and 15% elastane. Despite the marketing strategy, which implies purchasing a lifestyle and image, many buyers question whether the design justifies such a high price.

tecnoblog.netJuly 17, 15:55

Microsoft releases source code for Comic Chat, an application that turned conversations into comics

Microsoft has made the source code of Comic Chat public, a Windows chat client that used the IRC protocol and featured the functionality to convert conversations into comic book format.

Features and Historical Context

Originally launched in 1996, Comic Chat allowed dialogues to be presented with different characters and speech bubbles. The software's proposal was to simulate a visually rich experience, similar to modern applications like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, but using IRC infrastructure.

IRC, which stands for Internet Relay Chat, is a real-time communication service based on server interconnection and was introduced in 1988. Although it was very popular during the 90s, it gradually lost ground to other services such as ICQ, MSN Messenger, and webchats.

How Comic Chat Worked

To use an IRC service, client software was required, with mIRC being one of the most well-known. Comic Chat also attracted users by transforming purely textual conversations into visual scenarios. Each participant was represented by a comic character, and texts appeared in bubbles. Microsoft demonstrated that the software could bring interactions to life, such as having a character point to themselves when reading a message like 'I liked this.'

Comic Chat was initially released for Windows 95, accompanying Internet Explorer 3. Its appearance was notable considering the graphical limitations of the time, before the existence of emojis or like buttons. The company also released the tool for Windows 98, seeing it as a way to stimulate internet usage, which was not yet as widespread as it is today.

Microsoft's Motivation

Microsoft justified opening the source code as an initiative to preserve a relevant aspect of software history and offer the community the chance to study it, learn from it, and develop new functionalities.

Although the original Comic Chat was developed using Visual C++ 4.0 and MFC, the version made available on GitHub was adapted for compilation with current Visual Studio tools. This facilitates both code exploration and the ability to connect the tool to contemporary IRC servers. The code is available under the MIT license.

Trivia about the Font

Microsoft also clarified a possible association between the software's name and the Comic Sans font, stating that this font found its first suitable environment in Comic Chat because its informal and handwritten style perfectly matched the program's speech bubbles.