Slashdot reader BrianFagioli writes: The Salvation Army has launched what it calls the world's first digital thrift store inside Roblox, an experience named Thrift Score that lets players browse virtual racks and buy digital fashion for their avatars.

While I understand the strategy of meeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha where they already spend time and money, I feel uneasy about turning something that, in the real world, often serves low income families in genuine need into a gamified aesthetic inside a video game, even if proceeds support rehabilitation and community programs, because a thrift store is not just a quirky brand concept but a lifeline for many people, and packaging that reality as entertainment creates a strange disconnect that is hard to ignore.


"To be clear, proceeds from Thrift Score are intended to support The Salvation Armyâ(TM)s programs nationwide..." this article points out. "If it drives awareness and funds programs that help people in need, that is a win. But if it turns thrifting into just another cosmetic skin in a digital marketplace, then we should at least be willing to say that it feels off."

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Toerskiën (‘skimo’) maakte deze week een debuut op de Winterspelen. Het publiek genoot en de meeste deelnemers ook. Maar in de skimo-wereld klinkt ook kritiek: het gekozen format zou een „misvorming” zijn van de sport.

Vier voertuigen zijn zaterdagavond op elkaar gebotst op de Heemraadlaan in Spijkenisse. Zeker één van de inzittenden is hierbij lichtgewond geraakt.

When it comes to the back end of May and West Ham United are reflecting on the season that was, there is every chance that this soggy Saturday will go down as a missed opportunity that proved crucial in their survival plight.

Victory here would have raised the possibility of Nuno Espírito Santo’s side ending the weekend out of the relegation zone for the first time since early December. In keeping with those of recent weeks, much of the performance was befitting of another three points. But, thanks to a couple of smart Djordje Petrovic saves and some profligacy in front of goal, they had to make do with a draw – an expected goals (xG) total of 2.87 from 20 shots yielding a blank in the only column that matters.

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• Fifth round: Birmingham 8-0 Chatham

• Hurtré 26 59 68, Sarri 53, Louis 65 89, Lee 70, Leidhammar 76

For just under an hour, Chatham kept themselves in this contest at 1-0 down. Given they are paid only their travel expenses, while their opponents are full-time professionals chasing promotion to the Women’s Super League, that was an admirable effort from the lowest-ranked side remaining in the Women’s FA Cup fifth round. They were powerless, though, to stop Birmingham charging into the quarter-finals with a hat-trick from Océane Hurtré.

Anybody hoping to see a rare upset in this competition was left disappointed as the hosts, second in WSL 2, FA Cup winners in 2012 and heavy favourites for this tie, opened the floodgates in the later stages. It was a game they would have had wrapped up before half-time had it not been for an inspired performance from the Chatham goalkeeper, Simone Eligon, who represents Trinidad and Tobago.

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In the 2000s, the queer scene in Queensland felt small, but Melania Jack fell for Patty Preece big time

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It was 2007 and I was heading out to work on the regional program of an Indigenous arts festival called Stylin’ Up. A car entourage of arts workers were headed to Cherbourg to run beatmaking, songwriting and dance workshops.

As I drove up into Highgate Hill, the sun was just coming up. Ahead of me I saw Patty leaning against a yellow ute wearing a striped ’70s men’s T-shirt, a rat’s tail catching the light. She looked electric. I remember thinking: Uh oh. This person is literally shining.

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Melania Jack and Patty Preece perform as the multidisciplinary arts duo The Ironing Maidens

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Australian collections of the endangered and notoriously unpredictable flowers have popped off in recent years, as ‘personas’ like Putricia, Stinkerella and Smellanie prove a hit with nosy spectators

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From little things glorious fetid things grow. Corpse flower blooms, once vanishingly rare, are becoming more commonplace in Australia.

More than a dozen bloomed across the country in 2025, including the infamous Putricia in Sydney, Morpheus in Canberra, Big Betty in Cooktown, and Spud and co in Cairns. But with plants kept in gardens across the country, and blooming more frequently after their first flower, you could catch a whiff of one soon.

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Applying cosmetics for concerts and competitions is part of dance culture but many now question the tradition

I recognised the signs straight away: the twirling, the mirror glances, the obsession with her music box. I didn’t need my daughter to ask if I wanted to see her “magic dance show” to confirm it – she was a dance kid.

Despite efforts to offer trucks and tutus, sports with sparkles, I was quietly thrilled. I’d been a dedicated dance kid (and later an unhinged ballet teen) and was excited to see her join the tribe. But when I mentioned ballet lessons to my partner, he was horrified. He spiralled about the pressure, the body image, the gender stereotypes and, most of all, the makeup.

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The actor on bloodcurdling stage experiences, back yard cricket and the best advice he’s ever received

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In the spirit of your role as Lord Davenport in Fackham Hall – what is the poshest thing you have ever done?

Taking a helicopter to Royal Ascot. That is one of the poshest things I have done. I became aware of how posh it was when I started calming down and realised I wasn’t going to fall out of it.

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conspectus_bs posted a photo:

Kodak Ektar 100 with Mamiya 645 Pro and Sekor 50 mm Shift