While You Were Sleeping, South African Hero And Global Peace Icon Nelson Mandela Died

Nelson Mandela 

Anti-Apartheid hero, human rights campaigner, political prisoner and South Africa’s first black President Nelson Mandela has died overnight, at the age of 95. “Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father,” said President Jacob Zuma in a televised address that began at 8.45am AEDT. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mandela family. To them we owe a debt of gratitude. They have sacrificed much and endured much so that our people could be free.”

Mandela was hospitalised several times over the past few months, from respiratory problems related to pneumonia and an ongoing lung infection. He died at his Johannesburg home, surrounded by friends and family.

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Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, a biopic starring British actor Idris Elba, broke box office records in South Africa last week, and premiered in London last night.

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And The Colour Of The Year Is…

Around this time each year, colour corporation Pantone announce the colour that will be celebrated the following year, chosen in a secret meeting by colour representatives from various countries. It is all very important.

The colour chosen is intended to connect with the zeitgeist of the year that preceded it. 2013, for instance, was the year of Emerald Green: “Lively. Radiant. Lush… A color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony.”

Overnight, the company announced the colour that would be seeing us through to 2015. It is called “Radiant Orchard”, and described as “an enchanting harmony of fuchsia purple and pink undertones.”

It is basically just mauve.

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Watch Fast And Furious’ Tribute To Paul Walker

Yesterday, Universal announced it would postpone production of Fast And Furious 7 following the shock death of star Paul Walker, who died in a car crash over the weekend at a Philippines typhoon fundraiser set up by his own organisation.

Tributes to the actor have been flooding the internet, most notably from Vin Diesel, Wu-Tang’s RZA, and a sweet couple — a soldier and his fiance — who encountered Walker in a jewellery shop, before the mysterious benefactor bought them a $9k engagement ring they couldn’t otherwise afford. By now, I think we can all agree that he was a really good guy.

Overnight, the film franchise offered their own tribute: a mash-up of his best work from the film, set, for some reason, to P.Diddy and Skylar Grey’s ‘Coming Home’.

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Judy Blume And Lena Dunham Wrote A Book Together

Girls creator Lena Dunham has long-cited Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters as an inspiration for her work; the YA novelist ruled over the ’70s, as the first to tackle topics like menstruation (Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret), masturbation (Denny, Then Again, Maybe I Won’t) and teen sex (Forever). The two seemed destined to talk at some point.

McSweeney’s pop culture title The Believer nudged them together and recorded the result, which will be published in an 80-page (!) book “chronicling the pair’s first meeting and a conversation that touches on writing, celebrity, sex, censorship, and favorite breakfasts”.

The $45 book is only available to new subscribers and those who renew, and they’ve published an excerpt to whet your appetite. Here is a bit of it; for the rest, click here.

JB: My first favorite books were the ones in the Betsy-Tacy series. But they weren’t popular in school. I didn’t know anyone else who was reading them. I liked Nancy Drew, used my allowance to buy one every week at the Ritz Bookstore. In sixth grade I made up books to give book reports on.

LD: You invented them?

JB: I did.

LD: You would report on a book that had never existed?

JB: I did.

LD: Were you ever caught?

JB: Nope. I always got an A on those.