The Correct Order To Watch The V/H/S Horror Movies

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

The “V/H/S” films were released as follows.

“V/H/S” (2012)
“V/H/S/2” (2013)
“V/H/S: Viral” (2014)
“SiREN” (2016)
“V/H/S: Video Horror Shorts” (2018) (TV Series)
“V/H/S/94” (2021)
“V/H/S/99” (2022)
“Kids vs. Aliens” (January 20, 2023)
“V/H/S/85” (October 6, 2023)
“V/H/S/Beyond” (2024)

“SiREN” was adapted from David Bruckner’s short “Amateur” from the first “V/H/S,” while “Kids vs. Aliens” was adapted from “Slumber Party Alien Abduction,” one of the shorts in “V/H/S/2.” The “Video Horror Shorts” series was released, perhaps surprisingly, on Snapchat, easily presaging the massive success of Quibi only two years later. “V/H/S/Beyond” will be released this coming October. 

The VHS cassette gimmick is pretty thin throughout this series, and several of the films’ “bookend” segments involve VHS cassettes being found at a crime scene. The first two “V/H/S” films feature a common character, Steve, played by Simon Barrett. It’s worth noting that many of this generation’s more notable horror filmmakers brushed up against the “V/H/S” series at some point, proving to be a testing ground for up-and-coming gorehounds. The first film featured not only Bruckner (“The Ritual,” “The Night House”), but Adam Wingard (“You’re Next,” “The Guest,” “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”), Radio Silence (“Ready or Not,” “Abigail,” “Scream 5, 6”) and Ti West (“House of the Devil,” “X” trilogy).

Other notable directors include Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (“The Endless,” “Loki”), Nacho Vigalondo (“Colossal”), Timo Tjahjanto (“The Night Comes For Us”), Scott Derrickson (“Sinister,” “The Black Phone,” “Doctor Strange”), Chloe Okuno (“Watcher”), Jennifer Reeder (“Knives and Skin”), Johannes Roberts (“47 Meters Down,” “Welcome to Raccoon City”), Tyler MacIntyre (“It’s a Wonderful Knife,” “Tragedy Girls”), Vanessa & Joseph Winter (“Deadstream”), and the upcoming installment includes a segment from Flanaverse favorite, Kate Siegel. 
Several of the shorts were filmed in a way that VHS wouldn’t have been able to accommodate. Only purists, however, may be bothered by that. 
The “V/H/S” films also don’t skimp on horror. Each film contains at least five shorts, with some topping out at six. Only the Snapchat series is shorter, with the entire anthology, collectively, running about 16 minutes. Like any anthology series, the “V/H/S” movies are going to vary wildly in quality, with some of the shorts emerging as classics, and others wallowing in awfulness. Overall, though, they are cheap to make and have a high enough hit ratio to continue seemingly indefinitely. Time will tell if this series ever runs out of tape.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s BFF Matt Damon ‘have deep conversation’ at movie premiere

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

According to reports, singer Jennifer Lopez, 55, and A-List actor Matt Damon, 53, shared a “deep conversation” following her divorce from Ben Affleck, who happens to be one of Matt’s closest friends. This reportedly took place during Lopez’s first significant public appearance since filing for divorce from 52 year old Affleck on August 20th after…

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s BFF Matt Damon ‘have deep conversation’ at movie premiere

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

According to reports, singer Jennifer Lopez, 55, and A-List actor Matt Damon, 53, shared a “deep conversation” following her divorce from Ben Affleck, who happens to be one of Matt’s closest friends. This reportedly took place during Lopez’s first significant public appearance since filing for divorce from 52 year old Affleck on August 20th after…

Lumberton’s Owen Thomas publishes children’s book based in Robeson County

Arts & Culture, Books

LUMBERTON 一 Mayor Pro Tem Owen Thomas has recently published his first book, a children’s story starring his young son, Lexington.
Thomas has been an active member of the Kiwanis organization in Robeson County for more than a decade, he said. According to its website, Kiwanis is a national organization that focuses on positively impacting children in small communities.
According to Thomas, the main service project that the Robeson County chapter does is reading to second-graders during the school year. “I thought, ‘How cool would it be to have my book to go and read to the kids?’” he said, “and make it about the community?”
Thomas had the idea to write a book about three years ago, though his busy schedule kept him from starting his story. His work as mayor pro tem, president of the Humane Society, real estate business and family life all took up part of his days, leaving him little to no time to pursue a personal project.
Last year, Thomas finally decided to cross off writing a book from his bucket list after hearing an author come to speak at one of the Kiwanis events he was attending at the time. “It was almost 2024,” he said, “ and I figured that if I’m going to do this, I need to figure it out now.”
Part of Thomas’s inspiration was his family’s farming past in Iowa alongside the farming culture of Robeson County. Another part was the basic idea of a piggy bank and kids putting money into one to save up for something meaningful to them.
“Lexington Saves Piggy” follows a young boy named after Thomas’s son Lexington and his efforts to help his farmer friend Piggy, who is a pig, after his crops were lost and he couldn’t pay his dues. To help his friend, Lexington goes out into town and starts doing odd jobs and fundraising.
Thomas said that the book’s illustrations are based on real places in Robeson County. He said the illustrators he was working with at his publisher, Fulton Books, needed extremely detailed descriptions of the scenes, and the setting being his local community made communicating precisely what he wanted with them much easier.
“I went out in the community and took pictures,” Thomas said. “I already knew my scenes since everything was local, so that helped the illustrators to see what I was creating.”
Some recognizable spots in the book include Thomas’s house, Tanglewood Elementary and the Robeson County Humane Society.
Now that the book is out for preorder, Thomas said he feels good about his work. He said his hope for his story is that it spreads a message of how important community and friendship are and gives children a hint of financial literacy.
“I didn’t do it for the purpose of making money,” Thomas said. “I did it to make something I knew my son would think was cool down the road when he looked back on it and something that would shed a positive light on our community.”
The book “Lexington Saves Piggy” is available for preorder on Amazon and the Barnes & Noble websites.
Contact Victoria Sanderson at [email protected].

Travel expert reveals little known maths trick that helps you find the spaciest cruise for your summer holiday

Travel

A CLEVER travel hack has revealed the best way to enjoy an ocean cruise with extra room.The handy little hack requires a bit of travel maths, but will guarantee you a comfortable cruise instead of being crammed like sardines.1The higher the Passenger Space Ratio, the more room you will have on boardCredit: ALAMYWhile most travel tips and hacks will advise you to avoid booking relaxing getaways during school holidays and peak holidays times, this one requires you to understand the size of a ship compared to the number of passengers.It all comes down to what’s known as the Passenger Space Ratio (PSR). This is calculated by dividing a ship’s gross registered tonnage by the number of passengers as these factors vary between different vessels.The higher the figure, the more space you get to enjoy. Read more travel newsAccording to The Telegraph, “Six Star” lines such as Silversea, Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, generally scoring in the 60s and 70s for passenger space ratios, while many mass market ships are in the 20s, 30s and 40s.It means ships such as Carnival Cruises, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruisesand Norwegian Cruises often score in the early to mid 40s when it comes to space.Another tip when it comes to booking roomy cruise cabins is to study the deck plans for design quirks which can reveal extra large cabins on balconies for the same price as a standard room.Cabins at the ship fronts or backs tend to have a more unusual layout, and can include additional space.It’s not just the large ocean cruises that have quirky layouts, the same tip can apply to river cruise ships.Things like “open air balconies” can increase the size of the room by turning the floor to ceiling windows into a French baclony.A former travel consultant has also revealed a few tips for a more spacious and enjoyable cruise.Scott Laird revealed his best tips for people to try and find their own space.Firstly, Laird suggests that those looking for extra space pay for more expensive rooms as they get access to exclusive areas.If a traveller wants to avoid having to battle over deck chairs to sun themselves on, they could even book their own room with deck.Scott said the more expensive rooms also have access to their own restaurants, pools, and bars – a ‘ship within a ship’.He said: “That way, regardless of how busy your sailing proves to be, you can still enjoy yacht-like privacy—plus the fun-loving social atmosphere and amenities of a large cruise.”Secondly, holiday makers can reserve deck chairs next to the pool for a certain amount of time, but he said each cruise operator is different.Or, on most cruises, deck chairs can be reserved for a small fee.Doing one of those options saves the awkward glances and passive aggressiveness of trying to claim and keep a prime spot.Finally, Scott suggests that those on a cruise should just wander the boat to try and find the space they are looking for.Read more on the Scottish SunWhether it’s a quiet bar or a busy restaurant if travellers know how the boat works they can find what they want.He says: “If you still have difficulty finding your groove on the ship after a round of exploring, consult the experts. Cruise ship crew members live and work aboard their ships for months at a time, so they know them incredibly well.”

Benue govt seals ex-Gov Ortom’s Oracle Business over tax default

Business News

By Peter Duru, Makurdi
The Benue State Board of Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, weekend sealed off the premises of Oracle Business Ltd, owned by former Governor Samuel Ortom over an alleged N93.5 million tax default.
Also sealed in the Makurdi operation led by the BIRS acting Chairman, Mr. Sunday Odagba and Board Secretary/Legal Adviser, Mr. Ushahemba Dekaa were Jagshu Filling Station over alleged N2.1millon default and Ubgechi Filling Station also in default of alleged N2.1million.
The enforcement was a sequel to an order of a Makurdi High Court empowering the Board to enforce the consequences of the default.
Speaking after Oracle Business offices were sealed in parts of the town, the BIRS Legal Adviser pointed out that the company failed to meet its obligations for upward of six years and the Board had no option but to wield the big stick.
He said: “We have had time to assess the tax of the company all along. They have had to go back and forth in relation to payment which they failed to do. And we have had several meetings and engagements with them. In fact, at some point we were even pampering them to ensure that they paid their taxes and levies but they failed to.
“So today we had to come and enforce the Court Order we got from the High Court of Justice just because they have failed to pay their taxes.
“The tax liability of Oracle Business is about N100millon and it has been standing there for well over six years. In fact, it is one of the companies that refused to pay tax to the government despite their activities we felt that it is incumbent on them to pay their tax, and where you fail to do, the law will take its course and that is why we are here today.”
“I must point out the Group Managing Director of the company claimed that they paid N38million which is not true. Even our acting Executive Chairman had to come in to persuade them to pay but they refused. Since there has to be an element of coercion to ensure tax payment, that is what we have done today on behalf of the acting Chairman of BIRS.”
On his part, the Group Managing Director of Oracle Business, Chris Omiyi argued that the company got letters of tax evaluation totalling N138million. “We sent our tax consultant to them and the liability dropped to N38million.
“Even that amount was spurious but because we are peace-loving we agreed to pay the N38 million. But there is still a dispute of N15 million which we are to resolve in the office. They fixed a date for the resolution, we got there the people we dealt with were not on seats.Related News
“The issue is that you said a company is owing tax and we have started paying what you said we are owing. Whatever that is in dispute we bring it forward and if it is overruled then we pay that which is in dispute because we have paid all others.”
Reacting, the BIRS acting Chairman noted that Oracle Business and others failed in their obligations “because we had served them demand notices, they did not object and they did not pay.
“And the law is very clear, if you are given an assessment you should pay or you object to it. If there is no objection then within 30 days you should go and pay the tax liability. But they ignored all these hence the decision to seal them.
“The reason for the sealing the affected organisations is for tax default and nothing more. This operation has no political coloration whatsoever as somebody tried to claim. It is simple, if you have paid your tax as stipulated by the law, all you need to do is present the receipt, that is all.
“For your information we are also moving to Gboko and Otukpo Zonal Offices very soon to carry out the same operation. So we are appealing to those owing to pay up immediately.”

AI Security Startups and No-Code Platforms Secure Major Seed Funding in USA

Technology

It’s a big week in the US tech space as AI, no-code platform majors raise significant funds. Now let’s have a closer look at some recent advancements and what it is possible to expect from them as a glimpse of the future. 
AI Governance startup Acuvity has raised $9M to help secure AI systems

Acuvity, an emerging player in the artificial intelligence market, has secured $9 million in seed funding to bolster up its AI Security and Governance solution. This round was co-led by Foundation Capital, and some have been other individuals as Basil Alwan, Sri Reddy and Jonathan Siddharth. Well, $9M may seem a lot, but when it comes to artificial intelligence, it might not be very much sufficient. 
Acuvity’s platform assists organizations in the adoption of AI by giving the organization full visibility and control over how employees are applying AI. Pisut speaks of it as having a bouncer for the AI systems to prevent some unauthorized tricks being made. Since companies are using AI more than ever, their security measures at Acuvity are in high demand. It shields businesses from data leak, interception and also prevents sending of sensitive info to AI models.
Speaking to the CEO of Acuvity, Satyam Sinha, most companies lack adequate knowledge of how risky it is to use AI. These risks can be mitigated through the platform with the use of real-time monitoring and policy frameworks.
Fastn Gets $2.6M to Boost No-Code Potential

Second is Fastn, a no-code tool that was founded a little less than a year ago and has only recently closed a $2.6 million in seed funding. This round was the fundraising round led by the two top venture capital companies: LiveOak Ventures and Antler, and it is apparent that Fastn is preparing for the disruption of enterprises’ Software Development Life Cycle. 
There is also the expansion of its platform with intelligent automation based on artificial intelligence, which will enable developers to combine multiple APIs. The main idea of Fastn is to help software development become accessible to anyone, so even individuals with no programming skills will be able to create apps like a pro.
As composable architecture is getting more and more used, Fastn helps to integrate various pieces of a software solution without coding.
When people are talking about Fastn and it’s no-code platform, it is not only about app development at a faster pace, but it is more about providing businesses with an opportunity to work with accurate real-time data. For instance, one of Fastn’s customers, HP, was able to save a lot of time that would have been spent on developing applications from months to days thanks to this platform.
Magic Gets $320M Funding to Disrupt AI Coding

Finally, Dharmesh Moftah, founder of Magic – an AI startup, secured $320 million in its Series B funding round led by ex Google chief exec, Eric Schmidt. Magic targets code generation, which can be best described as the tendency to develop tools that would enable coders to create those long strings of code faster than before, and with less omission of faults.
Here is where magic is not just stopping with what they already created—they are joining forces with Google Cloud to create AI supercomputers. These new forms of artificial intelligence super computers powered by NVIDIA’s future generation of chips will enable Magic to advance the AI training and inference capacity to incredible levels.
Another advantage of Magic is that it can work with a large code base, up to 100 million tokens, which is approximately the number of tokens in 750 novels. They are capable of programming, analyzing the code for errors, and proposing improvements for each step of work.
The Future of Technology appears to be as bright as the present
In the world of technologies, such funding rounds allow demonstrating how many opportunities exist in AI and no-code platforms. Whether in Acuvity protecting AI usage, Fastn boosting the development of an application, or Magic transforming the coding process, the idea cannot be said to be lacking for want of it.
As the companies continue to advance, the general public can only wait for more developments that will define the future of technology applications in the business world and the development sector. It seems that such a future is already today, and the world of technologies has never been so vibrant as now.

Wales humiliated as tourist home tax backfires and holidaymakers leave towns empty

Travel

Following the introduction of a huge council tax rise targeted at holiday homes in coastal attractions in Wales in April in an effort to bring in over £10 million a year, a mass exodus has occurred as homeowners have been forced to sell up.According to The Telegraph, coastal areas such as Tenby and Little Haven have been hard hit, with the number of second homeowners leaving Pembrokeshire tripling in the last year. In July, 135 second homes were on the market, compared to just 38 the previous year – a rise of 255 percent. Speaking to The Telegraph, a multiple restaurant owner in Tenby, Matthew Ronowitz, said that such homeowners have helped the town become “a lot stronger and more prosperous” in recent decades, however, the area is now suffering due to them leaving. “We massively depend on second homeowners and if they are taken out of the equation, we struggle,” Mr Ronowitz said. “They don’t want to be in the area because they feel like they’re being pushed out, which is just plain silly from the council.”He added that the council “doesn’t realise how much money these second homeowners bring to the county. They are treating them as a cash cow but not realising it’s forcing them to leave the area and hurt Tenby.”Conservative opposition councillor Aled Thomas added that the council is making “villains” out of second home owners and is “absolutely haemorrhaging” support for Tenby’s tourism industry, with owners of holiday catering businesses being driven out of business. The Welsh Government had previously granted local councils powers to significantly increase levels, allowing them to charge an additional levy of up to 300 percent on top of the normal council tax rate. Council tax increases in Wales, according to data accumulated by The Telegraph from the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), Stats Wales and the Scottish Government, dwarf other nations, with a change in average B and D council tax between 1999/ 2000 and 2024/2025 being nearly 250 percent, compared to just under 150 percent in England and just over 50 percent in Scotland. As a result, second home owners in the county of Pembrokeshire complained about “grossly inflated” and “unaffordable” bills, according to a campaign group earlier this year.“On one of the roads I drive down there’s about 20 houses for sale,” said Cllr Thomas. “But nobody local is going to be able to buy these houses. You’re talking £400,000 houses, they aren’t affordable. The only people who are going to buy them will be even richer than the previous owners.”Rhys Jordan, an estate agent in Pembrokeshire, described the council’s strategy as an “absolute disaster”, and one of “the most ill-thought-through policies ever”. “We’ve got hundreds of houses sat on the market dragging everyone else’s house value down.”Labour councillor Joshua Beynon, however, defended the scheme, arguing that the large number of homes would help address the local housing problems: “The council has a role in supporting the local economy but importantly providing homes for locals who live here.“These early indications are positive signs that more houses are reaching the market for locals.”The premium tax charge on second homeowners is said to be undergoing a review at a council meeting next month.

Majorca ‘crisis’ as TUI move could see thousands of tourists switch to another country

Travel

Tens of thousands of British tourists jet off to Majorca and other Spanish destinations every year to catch some much-needed winter sun.However, the Belearic island – where tourism makes up a significant portion of the economy – may be facing fresh competition for UK guests jetting off to the beach in the winter season.Major tour operator TUI has confirmed plans to expand its operations in Turkey.In a visit to the country, TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel said the company hopes to ‘drive the number of guests’ heading to the country.TUI also hopes to expand its own portfolio in the country, where it currently operates 33 hotels and resorts with around 25,000 beds – including two that have opened this year.As part of this expansion, TUI hopes to make Turkey – known for its Aegean and Meditterranean beaches – more of a year-round destination, with a particular emphasis on winter and autumn visits.This could see visitors drawn away from Majorca, which has seen its reputation tarnished amongst some UK tourists in recent months due to protests about overtourism and abuse directed at some visitors from overseas.The Majorca Daily Bulletin, a local news website, said a survey of its readers had suggested other factors may also see guests pick Bodrum over Palma over the winter months.A survey last month suggested 80 per cent of its readers felt the island did not ‘offer value for money’, with concerns about the cost of ‘mediocre food’ also putting some visitors off.In a statement released on Friday, Mr Ebel said: “Türkiye has been a guest favourite for years, and this year we see it further solidified with impressive growth from all markets. The country offers a unique combination of being a high value destination with exceptional detail to quality.”We want to grow our presence in Türkiye in all segments of our business – with our tour operators and airlines, our leading hotel brands and also in the activities segment as well as with the cruise business.”Türkiye’s tourism sector is amongst the most successful in the world and it has enormous potential to develop further – for the benefit of Türkiye and its people.”We are very proud of our outstanding hotel partners in Türkiye and we are committed to taking our strong partnerships to the next level. I look forward to working together to further expand our joint successes.”