Thousands of fans gather for Elvis fest in australia
Dressed in jumpsuits, capes and donning wigs and shades, thousands of Elvis Presley fans gathered in the Australian town of Parkes recently to celebrate what would have been the late singer’s 81st birthday. The five-day Parkes Elvis Festival sees the population of the New South Wales town swell to more than double its size as fans of all ages from around the world come together to fete the king of rock and roll.
The theme for 2016’s event was the singer’s 1963 film Fun in Acapulco, and many fans armed themselves with sombreros as they relived his music and movie work.
The Parkes Elvis Festival officially gets underway when the ‘Elvis Express’ train rolls into the Parkes station platform from Sydney. Carrying hundreds of Elvis fans and tribute artistes, the train was greeted by hundreds of people wanting to welcome the Elvis and the Mayor of Parkes, Ken Keith, into the city.
(Reuters)
woman wins $1 mn twice in 7 months
A Massachusetts woman won a $1 million prize from the state lottery for the second time in seven months. Jane Hoyt of lynn, Massachusetts, was the first grand prize winner in the Massachusetts State lottery’s “$1,000,000 Holiday Bonus” game adding to her June 10 prize from the “World Class Millions” game.
Hoyt purchased her most recent winning ticket at Debro liquors in lynn and her first winning ticket at Shaw’s in Peabody.
She chose the cash option for both of her prizes and received two $650,000 payments before tax withholdings. She recently retired.
(UPI)
‘Monkey can’t own selfie copyright’
A macaque monkey who snapped clear, perfectly framed selfies that would have made the Kardashians proud still cannot own a copyright to the photos because it’s an animal, not a human, a federal judge said.
US District Judge William Orrick said that Congress did not extend federal copyright law to animals. That means the monkey cannot control the rights to the photos and profit from their distribution. The ruling came in a novel lawsuit filed last year by PETA that sought a court order allowing it to represent the monkey and let it administer all proceeds from the photos for the benefit of the monkey, which it identified as six-year-old Naruto, and other crested macaques living in a reserve on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
The photos were taken during a 2011 trip to Sulawesi by British nature photographer David Slater. The monkey took the photos by “purposely pushing the shutter release multiple times, understanding the cause-and-effect relationship between pressing the shutter release, the noise of the shutter, and the change to his reflection in the camera lens,” PETA said in its lawsuit.
Slater said he was the brains behind the photos, setting up the tripod the camera was on and positioning and holding it throughout the shoot. He said the British copyright obtained for the photos by his company, Wildlife Personalities ltd, should be honored worldwide. He moved to have PETA’s lawsuit dismissed, arguing that “monkey see, monkey sue is not good law”.
(AP)
Couple accused of theft after Walmart engagement
A Michigan couple’s engagement is off to a rocky start. Police say a 25-year-old man proposed to a
20-year-old woman at a Bay City Walmart store in front of employees and other shoppers who congratulated them on December 30.
But that same night, William Cornelius Jr was accused of shoplifting at a nearby store and arrested. Court records show the items included an edible thong and sex toy.
The Bay City Times, citing court records, reports his fiancee admitted the stolen jewellery was in her possession. Cornelius was arraigned on a misdemeanor charge. His fiancée posted bond before she could be arraigned on any charges. The newspaper says investigators confirmed Cornelius bought an engagement ring at Walmart for $29.
(AP)
Tom Brady’s shorts up for auction
A pair of underwear and a T-shirt worn by NFl player Tom Brady in one of last year’s biggest comedies are being placed up for auction. The clothing items worn by the New England Patriots quarterback in the film Ted 2, starring Mark Wahlberg, are for sale via auction site Goldin Auctions and have a starting bid of $2,500.
“When you’ve accomplished everything there is to accomplish in your chosen field, what to doIJ” the auction description states after listing Brady’s on-field accomplishments. “If you’re Tom Brady, you try your hand at acting.”
The lot contains the gray Giorgio Armani T-shirt and white Brooks Brothers boxer shorts worn by the three-time Super Bowl MVP during his cameo appearance in the film. Production tags, photos, scene information and a certificate of authenticity are also included. Ted 2, released in June 2015, generated $215 million at the box office. Bidding on the Brady lot will begin Monday, Goldin Auctions said.
The New Jersey-based auction site is also selling a more traditional piece of Brady memorabilia — an autographed game ball from Super Bowl XlII, which the Patriots lost to the New York Giants, with a starting bid of $1,500.
(UPI)