A space engineer has built her own cell phone with a ROTARY DIAL because she hates smartphones and texting
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
A space engineer has built her own cell phone with a ROTARY DIAL because she despises smartphones and texting.
Justine Haupt, 34, spent three years creating the old school device which fits into her pocket with a battery that lasts up to 30 hours.
When she wrote about the retro cell phone on her website, so many people visited the post that her site crashed.
Justine has since been inundated with requests from fellow smartphone haters begging for their own version of the phone and she is now offering build-it-yourself kits.
The astronomy instrumentation engineer, at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, was inspired to make the phone because she dislikes the culture of smartphones and has never even owned one.
“I work in technology but I don’t like the culture around smartphones,” she said.
“I don’t like the hyper connected thing.
“I don’t like the idea of being at someone’s beck and call every moment and I don’t need to have that level of access to the internet.
“Whenever I want to look something up, I’m more than happy to do so when I am at my computer.
“I’ve never texted and building this phone was in part so that I would have a good excuse for not texting.
“Now I can hold up this phone and say, ‘No, I can’t text.’”
While Justine did once buy a Samsung Galaxy smartphone for her mother and played around on it herself, she said she got rid of the device after a month.
“I thought I would give it a try but I lasted less than a month with it.
“I went back to my flip phone.
“I’m an engineer, I love technology, but the phone is not the way I want to do it.”
She is also not a fan of the interface on a smartphone or the touch screen.
“The interface is absolutely horrible,” she said.
“When you open an application and then you want it to go away but you don’t know if it is closed - that grates against the fibre of my being.”
Justine’s appreciation of rotary dials inspired her project.
“Rotary dials are neat and I wanted to include them in a project.
“I had had a flip phone for a long time and it can technically text so I wanted an even more dumbed down phone.
“I thought: ‘why not make a rotary dial phone?’
“I wanted it to fit in my pocket, be sleek, something I could actually use.”
The project was stop-start until two months ago when she decided to finally finish the device.
“I had the idea three years ago.
“I started putting it together and then I lost interest and it was in a box in the closet for a while.
“It was only about two months ago that I said: ‘I’m going to finish this thing’.”
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
Image by: Adam Gray SWNS
Justine sourced a rotary dial from an old Trimline telephone, making sure the dial was small enough to fit on a phone which would slip into her pocket.
“I was particular about getting one that could be as compact as possible.”
She bought a cell phone radio development board from hardware company Adafruit and the first cell phone prototype was very basic with wires showing.
“I did it just to prove it could work,” she said.
“I then designed my own circuitry.”
Justine used a 3D printer to create the cell phone case and added speed dialing buttons so she could call her husband, David Van Popering, 57, and her mother, Lorraine Labate, 60, at the click of a button.
The button for David is labelled ‘Da’ and Lorraine’s button is ‘La’, an abbreviation of Llama, Justine’s nickname for her mother.
“If I want to call my husband, I can call him by pushing a single button. I can call people more quickly on this phone than on my old phone.
“In rare cases when I want to call a new number, I do use the rotary dial and it is a fun, tactile experience.”
Justine added an e-paper display to the phone so that she could see messages and missed calls.
“It’s actual e-paper, the same material that you find on Kindles.
“Those kinds of displays are cool and are under utilised in technology.”
The phone takes an AT&T prepaid sim card which is compatible with the cell phone radio.
The device is 4 inches tall, 3 inches wide and 1 inch thick - easily fitting into Justine’s pocket.
“The battery lasts for a solid 24 hours, maybe 30 hours.
“It is actually my phone - I don’t carry my flip phone with me anymore.
“It fits into my pocket and, in total bulk, I don’t think it is much bigger than a large smartphone with a protective case on it.”
Justine published a post about the cell phone on her website on February 10 and so many people visited her site that it crashed under the demand.
“I never expected to go viral with this,” Justine said.
“There was so much demand.
“I didn’t want to sell it at first but everyone was clamoring and I got so many emails from people begging to buy a phone.
“Finally someone suggested I should at least make a kit.
“I very quickly put together a new version of the circuit that would be a little more robust.”
Justine created another version of the cell phone with a turquoise case.
Customers can buy the kit, which includes the circuit board and the 3D printed parts, from Justine’s company Sky’s Edge for $170, but they will have to source their own rotary dial.
“Now I’m looking at making a more inclusive kit that will come with everything you need,” Justine added.
“In a week, I’ve had around 30 orders.”
Justine admitted that the phone’s popularity has baffled her.
“I’m not totally sure why people responded to it the way they did.
“Maybe they see it as a hipster gadget which I hate because to me, it’s an actual phone.
“But there’s a surprising number of people who have identified with my philosophy of not liking smartphone culture - I’m pleasantly surprised that those people are out there.”
Video by: Gabriella Petty
An arcade owner has put toilet roll, soap and hand sanitiser as prizes - in GRABBER machines
Image by: Adam Harnett
An arcade owner has put toilet roll, soap and hand sanitiser as prizes - in GRABBER machines.
Rob Braddick, 48, owns Ho Barts Amusement Arcade and noticed that stocks of toilet roll were running low in his local supermarket.
He then decided to buy as many as he could, and used his stock to replace the toys and teddy bears in his grabbing machines.
Rob said that there were still products available to buy in his area, but hoped that people would flock to his amusement arcade in Westward Ho!, Devon, when they got desperate.
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Image by: Adam Harnett
Rob said: "We evicted the character from Frozen and the Peter Rabbit teddy bears and replaced them with hand sanitiser and toilet rolls.
"We also have a large machine that used to have a Spider Man doll, but now there is a large Curex soap in there - that's the Rolls-Royce of hand sanitisers.
"We test it, it's possible to win them but it is hard. We've lad people coming in to have a go but I don't think anyone has won yet.
"It's been a bit quiet so far but I think people will start coming in to have a look.
"There are still some toilet rolls on the shelves around here so I guess people aren't that desperate yet."
Rob also owns the nearby Braddick Holiday Centre, which employs around 100 people.
He said that they are taking the coronavirus scare very seriously, and have implemented a strict hand-washing policy for staff.
Rob continued: "We have a lot of staff at the holiday centre and the arcade, and we've put in measures where people have to wash their hands every half hour.
"So far the effect of the outbreak is unclear, we're still getting people ringing up and booking holidays - but it's early days and things could get worse."
Meet the orangutan who decided to take an outdoor vacation in -7°C
Image by: Jake Kubie
A canny orangutan was not going to let a little freezing weather stop him enjoying a ten day treetop holiday - and even took his own blanket to keep him toasty.
Wild orangutans, which hail from the steamy continent of Asia, never encounter cold weather.
Captive orangutans in breeding programmes around the world tuck up inside their zoo enclosures to wait out the winter months.
But 12-year-old Sumatran orangutan Jaya had different plans and braved the perishing cold in the freezing winter of Denver, Colorado, with his trusty blanket.
Jaya threw caring zookeepers of Denver Zoo into a panic when he left the comfort of his indoor retreat and took a 10-day holiday up a tree - in JANUARY.
Zookeeper Cindy Cossaboon said: “We don't know what spooked him, but he retreated into the yard, climbed up a tree and refused to come back inside.
Denver winters can be perishingly cold, so zoo staff rallied to try and coax Jaya back inside.
Cindy, 43, added: “They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. It’s normally much the same with apes.
“We tried a lot of novel foods with him. He loves dried fruit nuts and juices but nothing was working. He just wouldn’t come down.
“Jaya’s favorite thing is whipped cream. We give him that occasionally for an extra special treat, but even that didn’t persuade him.
“We had two big doors that were left open for him at all times, but he simply refused to come back inside.”
The zookeepers were concerned that Jaya would get frostbite, so they monitored him around the clock to keep him safe.
Image by: Jake Kubie
Image by: Jake Kubie
Image by: Jake Kubie
Cindy added: “We set up a giant heater out there and gave him bedding and hay and sleeping bags and comforters and tarps, everything we could think of to keep him warm.
“We sent up warm drinks and warm foods and the night keepers checked on him throughout the night, every night.
“It’s like having a kid. The animals feel like family and we care about them very much. When he was outside it was probably harder on us than it was on him.
“I wasn’t sleeping. We were all so worried about him. I kept checking with the night keepers every night, asking, ‘how’s Jaya doing?’
“We were lucky because it was quite mild this year, fortunately it was in the 40s in the day (4.5 Celsius) but there were a couple of nights when it got down to 20 (-7 Celsius)
“On those colder nights I didn’t sleep at all. We like to joke that we’re their mothers, their nurses, their restaurants and their house maids. Working with orangutans is about building relationships.
“Everything is about clear, honest and consistent communication. We treat them with respect and give them choices.
"You can’t force them to do anything. We work for them and it’s a real privilege for us.”
Jaya finally decided to end the outdoor experience after 10 days and vacated his treetop home and loped back into the warm.
Cindy added: “We were so relieved. It was a rough couple of weeks.”
Jaya is now happily settled at the zoo and has formed a firm friendship with a female orangutan called Eirina of the same age.
Cindy said: “Eirina absolutely loves him, she follows him everywhere. They play together all day. They like to hang by their feet upside down and wrestle.
“We’re hoping that in the future it’ll become a romantic relationship, but they are too young to breed effectively at the moment.
“When orangutans have children too young they don’t become the best parents, so the recommendation is that they don’t have their first baby until they are 15-years-old.
“But we really hope that in a few years we’ll have some babies to celebrate.”
Video by: Ashley Moran
This tiny Pomeranian dog has been left without a nose - following a cancer battle
Image by: Simon Galloway
This tiny Pomeranian dog has been left without a nose - after surviving a gruelling cancer battle.
Poa - is now known as 'Poa No Nose' by her owners and has her own instagram account @poanonose - after veterinary surgeons removed the upper part of her snout to fight off a fast-growing cancer.
13-year-old Poa, who is three quarters Pomeranian and one quarter American Eskimo, was taken to five different vets before they took the drastic measure to save her life.
Owner Anna Prosser, a producer and host from Seattle, Washington, USA, said: "The vet reminded me that Poa didn’t look in mirrors.
"They said as long as she could get snuggles and treats, she would heal and be perfectly happy.
"Even when she was at her sickest, Poa made it clear that she had no intention of giving up so, given that option, I knew it was the right choice."
Poa had surgery in August, three months after the cancer was diagnosed, and wore a head cone while she recouperated.
Anna said: "On some of the most terrible days, Poa sneezed blood, refused to eat, and was agitated all through the night.
"On good days, she slurped wet dog food and didn’t hide any of her medicine in her doggy bed.
"It was some of the hardest work I have ever done in my life, but little by little, day by day, she became stronger, until today she seems even happier and healthier than she was before."
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Anna Prosser
Image by: Anna Prosser
Image by: Anna Prosser
Poa even managed to grow a full coat of hair despite struggling with Alopecia X most of her life.
Now, even at 13, she still loves to play and walk, and especially snuggle and give kisses.
Anna said: "The first thing people ask are “can she eat?” and “does her tongue stay moist?” The answer to both of those questions is 'yes'!
"At very first, especially when she was fresh out of surgery and very was jarring to look at. Some people saw Poa and reacted with anger toward me.
"They felt like any dog who looked like her must be suffering, and that I, as her owner, should have made the call to put her to sleep instead of making her endure the aftermath of surgery.
"However, the more they see her happily going about her day to day as a basically normal dog with no nose but plenty of personality, they begin to see her for what she is.
"It is a reminder that even the smallest of us can be very strong. Even the most scarred of us can be beautiful, and that love really can survive anything."
She added: "I have been overwhelmed by how many people feel encouraged by her and express love for her.
"She was a very cute dog before, but now that she’s different, and her face tells a story of survival and hope, people seem to connect to her in a whole new way.
"Messages about her strength giving others hope mean the world. We try to return the favour by posting pictures that make people feel happy, and captions that remind people that they are beautiful and worthy of love, just the way they are."
Pictures are now shared on her instagram account @poanonose.
Ms Prosser added: "These have been some of the happiest times of our life together as companions.
"She’s been there for me though so many of life’s hardest times, and I feel so happy and proud to have been able to return the favour for my little bestie."
Video by: Anna Prosser
Student nurse films hairdresser cutting his hair wearing 'Coronavirus suit', mask and gloves at a salon
Image by: Stephen Larkin
A student filmed the "strange" moment his hair was cut by a hairdresser -- wearing full protective clothing including a hazmat suit and face mask.
Stephen Larkin, 26, said he was greeted by two hairdressers wearing white protective overalls who said they were "concerned about the spread of Coronavirus".
Student nurse Stephen said he wasn't put off by the makeshift hazmat suit but said it made him feel like he was getting ready to "have surgery".
The salon worker who cut his hair was dressed head-to-toe in protective overalls, a face mask and gloves at Boxx Hair, Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, on Thursday (12).
Single Stephen said: "I walked in at about 5pm and they were both stood there, head-to-toe in white suits and masks.
"There was hand sanitiser on the side and I was told to take a seat and someone will be with me shortly.
"Whilst I was waiting everything was being cleaned down and I did feel like I was about to go in for surgery.
"I thought it was funny to start with but it is really strange.
Image by: Stephen Larkin
Image by: Stephen Larkin
Image by: Stephen Larkin
Image by: Stephen Larkin
"When I arrived there was one other person cutting hair and and elderly lady in the chair.
"She looked quite bemused by it all on the way out.
"Getting my hair cut was a very strange and unusual experience. Everyone is just going mad."
Linlithgow is a small town close to Edinburgh with a population of just 19,000 - and it has no confirmed cases.
Stephen added: "It literally is a really small town and it's been pretty normal here up to yet.
"There are no confirmed cases here.
"The hairdresser said she was concerned about the spread of the virus.
"She said that if she keeps the place clean then there's no chance she or anyone else will get it.
"I just found the whole thing very, very strange."
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Shocking video shows a supermarket line HUNDREDS OF METERS LONG – as people panic buy supplies in the USA
Image by: Video Contributor 50
This shocking video shows a line hundreds of meters long outside a Costco supermarket in Irvine, California on Saturday, March 14, 2020.
“There were hundreds if not thousands of people in line,” said an onlooker, who shot the video at 9.18AM, as he was passing in his car.
“What makes it even more crazy is that Orange County is not a hot spot for coronavirus,” he added.
“Roughly 10 people have only recently been diagnosed with it and zero deaths.”
Video by: Video Contributor 50
A couple converted a van into a home to avoid crippling rent and are now traveling across continents in the vehicle - accompanied by their beloved dogs
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
A couple who converted a van into a home to avoid crippling rent are now travelling across continents with their two dogs - and the coronavirus pandemic will not change their itinerary.
Crystal Drinkwalter, 25, and Jazmyn Canning, 26, decided to spend £15K ($18,400 USD) buying the 92-square-feet 2006 Mercedes Sprinter and turning it into a cosy home instead of renting an apartment.
The couple, who are currently in San Cristobal, Mexico, believe that the rapid spread of the coronavirus will not impact their travels.
Crystal said: "If we were in a big city, we'd be more worried but we are in the middle of nowhere.
"I feel like we are in the safest position.
"We spent the last few days hiding out in the jungle and only seeing four other people so we're not too freaked out.
"We've seen more sheep than people in the last few days.
"It's not going to stop us."
The millennials renovated the van themselves despite not having any plumbing or electrical experience and relied on YouTube videos to show them how to finish the job.
The mobile home includes a kitchen with running water, a pantry and solar panels on the roof - but no toilet.
The couple, from Barrie in Ontario, Canada, both quit their jobs as waitresses and have spent the last year traveling through North America in their mobile home.
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
They are now in San Cristobal, Mexico, and plan to continue exploring Central America and South America with their hounds Bella, seven, and Izzy, five.
Jazmyn said: “We didn’t want the van to just be a travel mobile, we wanted it to be our own home mobile.”
Crystal added: “The cost of living definitely deterred us from getting an apartment.
“Rent for a one bedroom apartment in the Toronto area starts at $880 [1200 CAD] and then you are paying bills on top of that.
“How can you do the things you want to do when all your money is going into the roof above your head?
“We wanted to make life our job, rather than make our job our life.”
The pair took five months finding the perfect van and a further eight months to turn it into their home.
“We found a 2006 Mercedes Sprinter with no rust,” said Crystal.
“It took us eight months to outfit the van and it was a lot of trial and error.
“We had no prior plumbing, electrical work or carpentry skills.
“YouTube was our biggest educator.
“We were working full time while we were building.
“The van cost $10,200 [14,000 CAD] and the build cost $8,200 [11,000 CAD].”
The greatest challenge was equipping the van to be a “four season vehicle” so that it could survive the bitter Canadian winter.
“We needed a four season van with a heater as it is freezing about eight months of the year in Canada,” said Crystal.
The tiny home includes a kitchen, a reading nook and a pantry - but no toilet.
“At the front of the van we have a bench that pulls out into a small bed and we call it our reading nook,” said Jazmyn.
“We put our kitchen at the right side of the van.
“It has 127 liters of running water.
“We have a cooktop, a sink and a fridge which can hold 72 beer cans.
“We also have a floor-to-ceiling pantry and that’s where we store all our dried goods, pots and pans, dog food and coffee.
“In the back half of the van we have a bed that we can fold away.
“Our electricity comes from two AGM batteries that are fueled by our solar panels on our roof.
“We don’t have a bathroom.
“We didn’t really want to clean a toilet in such a small place.
“There are so many amenities out there and everyone is kind enough to let us use the bathroom.
“We let the dogs out all the time so when they go to the bathroom, we go to the bathroom.
“We use a shovel and we leave no trace.
“But we do have an outdoors shower.”
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
The van was finished in January 2019 and in February the couple set off on their travels.
They journeyed to the west coast of Canada before entering the United States.
“We went to Washington, Oregon, Utah, California and Arizona,” said Crystal.
“We then came into Mexico, taking the ferry from Baja, a state in Northern Mexico, to mainland Mexico.
“We are almost at the border of Guatemala now.
“We are going to do all of Central America and we will ship the van from Panama to Colombia.
“From Colombia, we will go to Ecuador, Peru, Chile and maybe Brazil.”
In the last year, the couple have only paid for camping once.
“We sleep for free every night,” said Jazmyn.
“We feel a sense of security in the van.”
“The dogs help us out,” added Crystal.
“They are the perfect alarm system when we are sleeping.
“They let us know if anyone is outside the van.”
The couple said that the desire to take their beloved Australian shepherds with them on their travels motivated them to convert the van.
Jazmyn said: “We really enjoyed traveling together but we always had to leave the dogs behind.
“We decided that if we built up the van, we could travel with the dogs and then they could be our adventure buddies.
“They are the sweetest, most intelligent dogs.
“They are honestly our babies.
“They keep us going - and calm and happy.”
As an LGBTQ couple traveling alone together, Jazmyn and Crystal said they have to take extra precautions.
The couple, who call themselves ‘Van Wives’ on social media, even considered changing their license plate which showed the moniker.
“Our license plate says ‘Van Wives’ and we were thinking about changing it.
“But we are just going to be who we are and we get so much more positivity than negativity from that license plate.
“When we were at the American border, the border security officer said: ‘It’s a shame that you two are gay.'
“But we have moved on from it.
“As an LGBTQ couple, we have to do our research.
“We haven’t had any issue at all in Mexico.
“They have a lot of Pride flags all over the streets.”
The adventurous pair have experienced many breakdowns on their travels but they have learnt to fix most mechanical problems themselves.
“Our vehicle is 13-years-old now, so there are issues that come up,” Jazmyn said.
“It just needs some TLC every now and again.
“You need to get new tires, do your breaks, check the ball joints.
“It has never been anything that is very detrimental to our travels.”
Crystal said: “We have learnt so much - we can figure it out by ourselves.
“We’ve done an oil change and we’ve changed the filters.
“We have learnt from all those breakdowns.”
The couple added that traveling in a van allows them to feel a part of the countries they visit.
“It’s just about getting to call those beautiful places home,” said Jazmyn.
“We open the back doors and feel totally present.
“We enjoy that we have each other, food on the table and a beautiful view.”
The pair share their travel adventures on their Instagram account and YouTube channel under the handle @vanwives.
Image by: Crystal DrinkwalterVideo by: Gabriella Petty
A couple who had their wedding cancelled because of Coronavirus donated their wedding food to NHS staff
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
A couple who had their nuptials cancelled because of coronavirus have donated their wedding food to NHS staff.
Fiona and Adam Gordon fed over 400 staff at two hospitals over two days with the roast beef and hog roast which was supposed to feed their guests on Saturday (21 March).
The catering company they were using for their big day, Galloping Gourmet, is run by a man who has close links with veterans' charity Hull4Heroes.
And when they were dealt the mortifying news their wedding could not go ahead they got a call asking if they would donate their food.
Amazingly Fiona - nee Bromyard - and partner HGV driver Adam, 30, decided to go along with their wedding anyway - in a quiet church service with just them and two witnesses.
The 31-year-old, from Hull, East Yorks., said they had been planning their wedding for just over a year.
They were having a church wedding with a big reception planned for after.
She said: "We were catering for 120 day guests, and as the venue pulled out at the last minute the catering firm had bought it all in.
"We were having a roast beef dinner, canapes and a hog roast in the evening.
"That would have been a lot to go to waste.
"When Tony Norris from the catering company called us up to ask to donate we didn't give it a second thought."
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
The pair had paid £250 for their own beef but the £2,500 they've paid to Galloping Gournet still remains in credit - as the charity have footed the bill for the big feed.
The company are hanging on to their money so they can cater the wedding party at a later date.
Galloping Gourmet owner and Hull4Heroes volunteer and Royal Navy veteran Tony Norrie packed up his horsebox trailer and served food to NHS staff to say thank you for all their hard work during the pandemic.
Charity founder Paul Matson said they felt "choked up" as they served hog roast sandwiches to hungry NHS staff outside Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital in Hull, East Yorks., at the weekend.
He said: "Everyone was delighted, even the head of the hospital came out and thanked us, so we made everyone happy and that's exactly what we wanted to do.
"As we started and we saw the queue forming I think we were all a bit choked up. It was a really nice way for us to do something.
"A few even put tears in our eyes just saying, 'Look, this is absolutely wonderful, thank you so much'.
Fiona said: "The reaction we have had for doing this is absolutely amazing, but of course the real heroes here are the charity workers.
"We're just happy to help bring a bit of light in the middle of all this. It is times such as these when you realise what's important.
"The fact that we managed to help in some way because of this is a silver lining.
"The main thing for me and Adam is that we got married and we are together.
"We really wanted to get married on the 21st March as I lost my mum six years ago and that is her birthday.
"Our wedding was very low key, but we got dressed for the occasion and had my brother and mother-in-law as witnesses.
"We then went home, changed out of our clothes and had some champagne and cake."
A bored university student spent her time in quarantine on the phone to all her exes - to ask them 'What Went Wrong? in their relationship
Image by: Jack Rivlin
A bored university student spent her time in quarantine on the phone to all her exes - to ask them 'What Went Wrong? in their relationship.
Rebecca Lockwood followed advice she’d seen on Twitter - treat isolation as an opportunity for self growth.
She'd spotted a Kitty O’Meara quote making the rounds on Twitter: “And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still.”
So the English and creative writing undergrad thought who better to help her grow than her exes.
Rebecca, 19, shared her experiences with student news site The Tab.
She said: “The people who have experienced the worst of me are definitely the most qualified to tell me what went wrong and how to improve.
“It’s worth a try to see how I can be the best me I can be.
“Plus, I really didn’t have anything better to do - I was just so bored.
“Waiting for them to reply was terrifying, but actually everyone was really nice - there’s no hard feelings there.
“It gave me a bit of a reality check - it’s so easy to just block someone out of your life.”
Call number one was with Jay, an ex-boyfriend of multiple months dating back to last year.
Jay had lived opposite Rebecca in her first-year accommodation and the pair were two of few resident smokers.
She’d broken up with him in bed.
When she called him last week, he admitted he had no idea who he was talking to because the number wasn’t saved.
Jay said: “I think initially everything was really great because we were both available, living super close and the thrill of it all was the sorta uni vibe you would want.
“After thinking it through for a while, I guessed you probably thought that yes I’m nice and I look after you, but that you aren’t getting the most out of someone you should be fully committed to.
“I don’t believe you made any wrong conscious choices, and neither did I.”
Call two was with Tim - the pair had dated for a couple of months about three years ago.
The pair had started out as friends with few common interests - the extent being photography and Tyler the Creator.
Rebecca claims he was impossible to break up with - even when she lied that she was confused about her sexuality, he offered to work it out together.
Image by: Jack Rivlin
Tim said: “There isn’t really that much, but I feel like you broke up with me really out of the blue - especially after you brought me some gifts the day before.
“Then blocked me and wouldn’t speak to me about it.”
But Tim ended up apologising to Rebecca as after she had ended things, he turned up at her house with a photobook of hand-annotated memories and flowers.
“I do wanna say, and I feel this is a good time to say it, that I’m sorry for after it happened and I came to your house, still feel like a dick about it years later.”
His one piece of advice: “It’s the cutting people off really - like for the longest time I assumed you just got bored of me.”
Call number three was a little more heartless.
Ed and Rebecca had met in school - he was also Rebecca's first kiss, outside Greggs.
Rebecca claims the pair are still friends now, the pair often discussing Ed’s relationship with his boyfriend.
Ed opened with: “Oh for fuck sake - are you taking the piss?
“How long was our relationship? Three days?!
“Not much happened and after a while you got your scary friend to dump me.
“In terms of improvement, maybe you could have the bollocks to dump me yourself.”
Ed enjoyed the task, offering me three points of improvement:
“One, confidence.
“Two, you could have been a bit more passionate, a bit more affectionate.
“And three, you just could have shown a lot more enthusiasm for the general experience of it all.”
Rebecca admits it had been hard to hear her character attacked, but she had asked for it.
Her advice for others considering picking up the phone to their exes:
“They’re probably as bored as you, and might want to spend some time giving you feedback for this crucial period of self-learning.
“And in a seemingly never-ending quarantine, what else do you have to do?”
Incredible bond between a dog and a rhino captured on video
Image by: Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
A "remarkable and unbreakable" friendship between a dog and a RHINO has been captured on video.
The sweet pairing can be seen doing everything together - with the rhino even giving the dog a kiss.
David is an Anatolian Shepherd and Esmé is a white rhino.
Despite their differences, the two are clearly fond of each other's company.
In one video, Esmé can be seen to kiss the head of David.
In another, David playfully chases Esmé across a field.
Both are resident to Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC), a South African wildlife facility focused on conservation of rare and vulnerable species.
Image by: Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
Image by: Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
The founder and managing director of HESC Lente Roode, 72, says the unique bond the two animals share is important to her.
"Esmé was our first rhino calf that we decided to introduce to an anatolian shepherd dog as a companion.
"It took a few days but as soon as the two were used to each other the relationship was remarkable and unbreakable.
"Esmé and David have a very special relationship and are therefore very dear to me."
David the dog is nearly two years old and was donated to HESC by a friend to Lente.
Esmé upbringing was slightly more challenging.
"Her mother was a young and inexperienced cow and couldn’t produce milk for Esmé," Lente said.
"On Esmé’s arrival she was extremely malnourished and as a result pressure sores formed on her ankles and underneath her feet."
Video by: Gabriella Petty
