Month: March 2025

Ahead of the Guinness-dripping event, which commemorates the death date of Ireland’s patron saint and takes place every 17 March, an expert has revealed there’s one telltale sign of a high-functioning alcoholic that can be identified throughout pubs next week.

Even without Irish nationality, the drinker in all of us might be tempted to get supping on this emerald-tinted occasion, but if you’re finding yourself to be on the sauce a bit too regularly, there could be an issue swimming under the surface.

What is a functioning alcoholic?

Per the UK Addiction Treatment Centres’ official guidelines, a functioning alcoholic is a ‘person with an addiction to alcohol, but manages to go about their daily routine, therefore their drinking problem goes unseen’.

Key sign of someone being a functioning alcoholic

If you’re concerned that your drinking habits could be becoming unhealthy, here is one simple sign you should be wary of.

As for the aforementioned identifier, expert Lee Spinks claims it takes the form of being unable to call it quits after one drink and finding excuses to stay out all night long.

“Initially, they intend that they will just have one or possibly two, and they may sincerely wish to believe this and tell others in your company to reaffirm this belief,” he wrote.

“But one will always turn into more as they will inevitably find an excuse to continue drinking, whether it be another round, chatting to a new person, or an offer on beverages such as ‘happy hour’. Whatever the reason, they are likely to find excuses to continue drinking.”

Spinks continued to add that as a high-functioning alcoholic, you might be aware of the problems in your relationship with booze but could potentially make excuses to avoid talking about it due to ‘deep-rooted anxiety’.

Justifications often made by sufferers include phrases such as ‘I work so hard. I am entitled to have fun’ or ‘I pay the bills, take my kids to school, and get to work on time. Alcoholics can’t do those things’.

As for the Baby Guinness chuggers out there, here’s something else you’ll want to watch out for this Paddy’s Day.

The age of the internet has provided us with a lot of entertainment, and given us a new place to host our many arguments – over literally anything.

This one is all about a common household item, and viral question to do with what it should be used for.

Nate McGrady is a software engineer, and took to Twitter to ask a question, which many may have been wondering, but too scared to share on social media.

McGrady simply asked ‘what the purpose’ of the weird embroidery at the end of a towel really is.

Don’t lie, you’ve thought about it at least once before.

He wrote: “I’m convinced that it only exists to shrink and make it impossible to fold the towel nicely, causing you to buy another towel.”

One user joked: “Racing stripes. It makes them dry faster.”

Another said: “The purpose of it is to annoy me and to make me feel grateful for the other side of the towel that actually dries your hands all the way.”

A third added: “It’s a scam by Big Towel to steal precious softness from our lives!

“Give us back our soft bits, you monsters!!”

Some others suggested that one section was used to wipe your face and body and the rest was to wipe the parts of your body, well, below the border.

“It’s to tell the top from the bottom so that you don’t wipe your eyes into the same place you wiped your butt cheeks to,” one wrote, which isn’t the worst way to look at it.

Another agreed, saying you wipe your butt below the line, and wipe everything else above it.

As funny as butt jokes are in this day and age, the answer is it’s called a ‘dobby border’.

The answer may not be as fun or humourous, but as one user explained: “It’s called a dobby weave. It’s maintains structure and prevents curling. It’s also decorative.”

A different user said: “It’s called ‘The dobby border’, and it reinforces the fabric, prevents fraying, adds a decorative touch, and helps with folding. It’s also less absorbent due to its tighter weave.”

If that’s not enough for you though, American towel wholesaler Towel Hub provided an explanation to the New York Post.

“Known as a dobby border, this woven strip helps prevent fraying, improves absorbency, and gives towels a professional, polished look.”

So there you go – though if you want to keep wiping your butt below the line, feel free to do so.

It can thank streaming platforms for that, as the legal-drama enjoyed a resurgence on Netflix, particularly over lockdown.

Not to mention the fact the legal drama stars Meghan Markle.

In the years since though, all nine seasons have been made available all around the world, with more and more eyes becoming infatuated with the lawyers at Pearson Hardman.

Ah how we yearn for the early days of Harvey Specter and Mike Ross.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch Suits all the way through, it starts by focusing on fraudulent Mike Ross, and how he manages to build a career at one of the most prestigious law firms in New York City.

Played by Patrick J. Adams, the iconic character impresses everyone at the firm and those in the fictional New York scene while hiding the fact that he never attended law school.

Obviously, there are some close calls – but it makes for an entertaining watch.

In addition to Adams, the likes of Markle (Rachel Zane), Gabriel Macht (Harvey Specter), Gina Torres (Jessica Pearson), Rick Hoffman (Louis Litt), and Sarah Rafferty (Donna Paulsen) make up the rest of the cast.

Much to the excitement of fans, the Suits gang all reunited at the Golden Globes in January last year, but one royal star didn’t make it to the get-together on the red carpet.

Markle – who revealed she would not be reprising her role as the paralegal-turned-lawyer shortly before revealing her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017 – was sadly not in attendance like the rest of her co-stars.

And when one of her former cast mates was asked about her absence, they didn’t mince their words.

Actress Gina Torres, who played the tough-talking managing partner at the fictional law firm, was chatting to reporter Marc Malkin and said that the Suits squad have a group chat which is still thriving.

She explained that they were all ‘texting each other’ incessantly after being asked to present an award together at the Golden Globes, adding: “Our text thread is insane right now, it’s exciting.”

Malkin then asked who had got in touch with Markle to request her presence – and Torres gave a brutally honest answer.

She responded: “We don’t have her number. We just don’t.”

Elaborating on the Suits cast’s lack of communication with the Duchess of Sussex, the Firefly actress added: “She’ll see, she’ll watch. She’ll be happy that we’re here.”

So, no bad blood – it just sounds like Markle has stopped updating her old pals when she gets a new phone number.

Adams, who played her on-screen love interest for the best part of seven years, pretty much confirmed this fan theory during an episode of his podcast called Sidebar.

He revealed that since she got hitched to Prince Harry, Markle has been on a ‘very different’ path in life to the rest of them so they are ‘not really in touch’ these days.

However, she did hit Adams up to congratulate him on Sidebar when she got wind of his latest venture and offered to ‘help in any way’ she could.

The actor said it was ‘so lovely to still have that kind of support and friendship after so many years apart’ – and I’m sure fans of Mike Ross and Rachel Zane will be buzzing to hear that they still hold a candle for one another.

According to a 2019 survey, it seems both men and women have particular red flags when it comes to performing in the bedroom.

While the ideal amount of time men should aim to last for has been revealed by past surveys, with one standing at 16 minutes and another at 25 minutes, what you should do in that time can be a complete minefield for many.

Well, worry no more, as while a dating expert highlighted that foreplay is key, a survey has pointed out a few things you should probably avoid.

IllicitEncounters.com, a site used by those specifically looking for affairs, asked 2,000 people for their biggest turn-offs, showcasing a number of similarities and the 10 most common answers.

While things such as insisting on having the lights off and remaining silent during sex are apparently big turn-offs for men, the list looks strikingly different for women.

According to the survey, for women, it’s all to do with bad technique and inappropriate behaviours.

In fact, 64 percent of women admitted they would rather not hear about their previous sexual experiences with past partners.

Making our way down the list, 58 percent of women admitted they really didn’t like it when men assumed that sex was over once they had reached completion.

The third was having pets in the bedroom, and in all fairness, who likes having animals in the same room where you’re trying to get down and dirty?

Some other noteworthy inclusions on the list were cheating in the past for both men (48 percent) and women (37 percent), despite the purpose of the website which carried out the survey.

Self-awareness is always key, eh?

Here’s the full list:

Top 10 turn-offs for women

1. Talking about sex with the ex
2. Thinking sex is over as soon as he’s orgasmed
3. Having pets in the bedroom
4. Sending unsolicited sexual photos
5. If he says he’s a cheat
6. Bad breath or body odour
7. Asking ‘Are you close yet?’ as it’s guaranteed to kill her chances of orgasm
8. When he uses porn secretly
9. Not wanting to wear a condom
10. Having sex like a porn star, including lots of fast and furious thrusts

Jessica Leoni, a sex and relationship expert for IllicitEncounters.com, explained: “New relationships are all about discovery and learning about people’s past lives, but some topics are a real no-no, especially in the first few weeks of dating.”

“If you admit that you are a cheat on one of your first dates, expect your new partner to do the same – creating mistrust on both sides which could well kill the relationship before you get started,” she added.

The series debuted not only to number one in the UK, but globally on the streamer.

Adolescence focuses on a young boy who is arrested on suspicion of murder, and every one of the show’s four episodes are shot entirely in one take.

Starring alongside Stephen Graham, Faye Marsay and Owen Cooper is Ashley Walters, who plays DI Luke Bascombe in the show.

Walters plays a detective whose son went to the same school as both the boy who is arrested, and the girl he is accused of stabbing to death with a kitchen knife.

The actor, previously most well-known for his role in Top Boy, spoke out recently about the horrifying real-life inspiration for the new show, and what led him to f**king regret agreeing to star in it.

The Netflix series is in part influenced by the recent surge in online incel (involuntary celibate) culture.

Incel refers to nearly entirely male spaces online where people believe that they are celibate against their, often driving young men to misogyny and hatred of women.

Walters spoke to the Daily Mirror about the series, sharing that he ended up reading more about content from ‘manosphere’ creators, often watched by misogynists such as Andrew Tate, which ‘shocked’ him.

He said: “I’d seen bits of the Andrew Tate stuff kind of popping up online or whatever, but I never really delved into it. For me, this was the first real experience.

“I do sometimes feel sorry for [kids]. When I was growing up, I was in a bubble.

“I didn’t have a clue what was going on in the States and other parts of the world.”

The actor also went on to state at a screening of the show that he ‘f**king regretted’ signing on to the show once he was on set.

He said that Stephen Graham, who he referred to as a mentor, had invited him to the show and that ‘you never say no to Stephen Graham’.

He said: “When you get the opportunity [to work with people you respect such as Stephen Graham], you do it and that’s what it was.”

Walters got laughs from the audience before going on to say: “When I got there… I f**king regretted it.

“Every day, Phil [Barantini] will tell you, I was in tears! Every day I was going home, crying in my script. Rocking, you know. It was the hardest thing in the world. No, no it was.

“I was so insecure. I was so insecure, and it’s a lot. I had to learn the whole script.

“I had a lot to say in that first episode and you’re leading a lot of it, as well. A lot of it is police jargon and whatever.”

Despite the uncertainty Walters has expressed he had, the show hasn’t been hindered one bit – with a massively positive reaction from viewers and critics alike and particular praise given to his performance. The series currently sits at a perfect 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Michael Garcia, a delivery driver in California, was waiting at a drive-thru for his drink when it spilled on his lap, according to a lawsuit filed in California Superior Court.

After the February 8, 2020, incident, Garcia has had to undergo various procedures to correct the ‘disfigurement’ caused by the beverage, including skin grafts and other treatments.

His attorneys claim that the venti-sized Starbucks drink immediately fell onto his crotch area after he bought it, resulting in injuries which were permanent and ‘life-changing’.

A Los Angeles County jury has since ruled in his favor after finding that an employee of the coffee chain improperly secured the drink into the takeout tray before passing it to him in his vehicle.

Following the verdict, Garcia’s attorney, Nick Rowley, wrote in a statement: “This jury verdict is a critical step in holding Starbucks accountable for flagrant disregard for customer safety and failure to accept responsibility.”

However, Starbucks isn’t as hot on the jury’s vote and plans to appeal the decision.

As per NBC, a company spokesperson wrote in a statement that the establishment ‘disagrees’ with the ruling, stating: “We disagree with the jury’s decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive. We have always been committed to the highest safety standards in our stores, including the handling of hot drinks.”

This isn’t the first time a case against a popular chain has been carried out due to alleged scalding beverages, as the infamous 1990s case against McDonald’s is still remembered by many.

It all began when Stella Liebeck suffered third-degree burns after a coffee spilled on her lap, awarding her nearly $3 million in damages.

The amount was later changed by a trial judge to $480,000 and the compensatory damages to $160,000.

In another instance, a girl named Olivia Caraballo was awarded $800,000 in South Florida after a hot Happy Meal Chicken McNugget fell into her lap at four years old in 2019.

And in May 2023, Genesis Monita sued Bill Miller BAR-B-Q as she allegedly ended up suffering a second-degree burn after dropping one of the sauces on her lap.

She accused the restaurant of making the sauce too hot and said she had not been sufficiently warned about its temperature beforehand.

The lawsuit alleged the sauce was ‘served at 189 degrees’ and ‘when Monita took the container of bar-b-que sauce it was so hot that it caused her to drop the container and spill the sauce on her right thigh causing a second-degree burn,’ stated KSAT.

The lawsuit went on to claim that the sauce was 54 degrees higher than the state’s guidelines, which is reportedly 135 degrees.

The 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student vanished on March 6 while on a spring break vacation in the Caribbean beauty spot, Punta Cana, while surveillance footage captured her heading to the beach with a group of friends – including Joshua Riibe, of Iowa – at around 4am local time.

Dominican police told CBS that Sudiksha, an Indian native from Virginia, stayed on the beach with one of the men as the others returned to the hotel.

Authorities have since launched a search for Sudiksha after her clothes were found on a sun bed on the Dominican Republic beach where police believe she was going for a swim, reports ABC News.

On March 13, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office named Riibe as a ‘person of interest’ in the case. Authorities said Riibe is not considered a suspect but ‘he may have been the last one to see her’.

The 22-year-old has since been detained in his hotel room ‘under irregular conditions’, his family claim.

In a statement issue to WTAE, they said: “Despite his full willingness to cooperate, Josh has been detained under irregular conditions and subjected to extensive questioning without the presence of official translators or legal counsel until Wednesday, March 12.

“He has remained in his hotel room under police surveillance and has been repeatedly taken to the police station since March 6, where he has been interrogated for long hours.

“This situation has raised serious concern within his family, which has led us to retain legal counsel to initiate legal actions ensuring his safety and the protection of his rights throughout this process.”

His parents also told CBS News they hope Konanki is ‘found as soon as possible’.

Surveillance footage show the young woman walking near the beach at around 4.15am, arm-in-arm with Riibe, of Rock Rapids – located near the border or Minnesota and South Dakota.

Riibe, who hasn’t been charged or accused of a crime, has allegedly given mixed accounts of what happened.

During a press conference on March 10, President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader said the last person who had contact with Konanki reported ‘a wave hit them while they were on the beach and caused some kind of situation’.

The sheriff’s office previously said that there had been ‘considerable public speculation about what may have happened to Konanki and who may be involved’.

The news release added: “We caution anyone from drawing any unsubstantiated conclusions and are committed to ensuring that a thorough investigation is conducted before any conclusions are reached. The LCSO is hopeful for the safe return of Sudiksha Konanki, and we are committed to supporting this investigation and her family in every way possible.”

The 47th President of the US took to Truth Social yesterday (March 15) to condemn the Houthi ‘terrorists’ in Yemen for having ‘waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence and terrorism against American and other ships, aircraft and drones’ in the Red Sea.

The Houthi rebels are an Iran-backed armed political and religious group that emerged in the 90s and champion the Zaidis – Yemen’s Shia Muslim minority.

Trump branded his predecessor Joe Biden’s response to the Houthi ‘weak’ and resulting in ‘the unrestrained Houthis’ to ‘just keep going’ with it being ‘over a year since a US flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden’.

“The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times,” Trump’s post continued. “Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at U.S. aircraft, and targeted our Troops and Allies. These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk.”

Trump resolved the ‘attack on the American vessels will not be tolerated’ and declared the US’ launching of ‘overwhelming lethal force until [it has] achieved [its] objective’ – launching aerial attacks and missile defenses to ‘protect American shipping, air and naval assets and to restore Navigational Freedom’.

And his direct message to the Houthi rebels? Addressing the ‘Houthi terrorists’ themselves, Trump issued a stern four-word threat: “HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU.”

The full address read: “YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!”

Elsewhere in the post, Trump said: “The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of Global Commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends.

“[…] No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”

He resolved: “To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History, or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!”

The Houthi-run health ministry has reported that at least 31 people were killed and 101 injured in the strikes launched by the US, BBC reports.

A lot of people in recent years have opted to purchase an electric car in a bid to prevent causing further damage to our planet through global warming.

But the planet isn’t the only thing you can save; you can save a heck of a lot of cash too.

Telsa owners often brag about how much money they’ve saved since ditching their fuel powered cars. For example, one guy said that he saves as much as $200 a month on fuel since getting one of the popular EVs.

He added that he hadn’t seen that much difference in his electricity bill either, despite the fact he mainly charges his Tesla at home.

And he’s not the only Tesla owner to reveal the copious amounts of cash they’ve saved since investing in one of the cars.

Last year, Tesla driver Bilal Sattar took to Twitter to share some statistics in relation to his car.

He wrote at the time: “Six months and roughly 10k miles I’ve spent only $573 to charge. An equivalent gas car at $4/gallon would have cost roughly $2,400.”

The screenshot he shared came from the Tesla app which offers a handy comparison between electric and fuel.

With these figures in mind, Bilal will have saved around $1,800. Impressive!

Bilal went on to share how he managed to save as much cash as possible by taking full advantage of any location that offer free charging — stores like Walmart and Target, for example.

I mean, everyone likes a freebie.

As well as this, Bilal urged fellow EV drivers to limit their use of supercharges are they’re more expensive that charging from home.

Then, for optimal savings, Bilal says he has solar panels installed at home.

“The energy for my car comes from my solar panels,” he shared with one fellow Twitter user that replied to his post

Others also took the opportunity to gush about the money they have saved since going electric.

Someone told Bilal: “Same I also have Tesla Model 3. I have also saved much by switching to EV rather than on Gas!”

“7 years in, I’ve saved thousands,” said another.

Sharing screenshots of their own savings, someone else said of the $5,290 they’ve allegedly saved on gas: “I have my Tesla Y since last year and accumulated 58,000 kms and here is my savings. I charged at home while I sleep too and rarely use a Supercharger!”

Yet that’s the sad reality of a flash $20 million manor constructed on the top of Kingfisher Towers in Bengaluru, India, which overlooks the many slums below.

Situated in the luxurios UB City, it’s a stark contrast to how those 400ft beneath the estate live.

It’s owned by tycoon Vijay Mallya, and the reason he’s left it vacant is because he’s wanted by Indian authorities and is accused of fraud and money laundering.

So what does the property consist of?

Mallya’s mansion has lush gardens, an infinity pool, a helipad, and a surrounding deck, but its whereabouts has caused many problems.

It covers a whopping 40,000 square feet, and shares nothing with the rest of the apartments in the building below.

Irfan Razack, the chairman of Prestige Estates Projects, which is part of a joint development agreement to construct the tower, said of the project: “It was a challenge to construct the mansion on a huge cantilever at that height, but we have ensured we build it exactly the way it was conceived. It’s a complex structure and the finishing work is going on.

“We will finish the project as per contract and hand it over.”

The luxury home has a value of approximately $20 million, but after spending so much money to make his extravagant home dreams come true, it could all go to waste.

It is even believed Mallya might never actually get to live in the extremely expensive mansion.

India has made efforts to extradite Mallya, who made his fortune selling beer under the Kingfisher brand.

The businessman has also launched himself into aviation and Formula 1 racing in the past.

In 2023, former British security minister Tom Tugendhat was asked about the extradition of Mallya where he clarified that the UK does not intend to become a place where people can evade justice.

Speaking to PTI, the politician said: “We both [the UK and India] have legal processes that must be gone through. But the UK government is absolutely clear, we have no intention of becoming a place where those who are seeking to evade justice can hide.”

To this day, the mansion remains unclaimed as the Indian government continues to try and get its hands on Mallya.

Questions remain on who and when someone will move into the residency.