August 28, 2014 - Strange noises coming from the ceiling? Haunting scratches coming from the wall? As one family's experience shows, you may want to consider calling animal control before you contact the Ghostbusters. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/video-family-haunted-by-t_n_5744956.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Sunday, 31 August 2014
Chefs, Breeders Pair Up To Create Tastier Vegetables
VERONA, Wis. (AP) — There's a good chance that many of the suddenly trendy vegetables that foodies latch on to in the next decade will benefit from research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
While plant breeders at many public universities focus on improving field corn, soybeans and other crops used in food manufacturing or livestock feed, those in Madison want to produce better-tasting vegetables.
The university has long had ties to the vegetable processing industry, as Wisconsin is among the top two or three states in producing canned or frozen sweet corn, green beans and peas. But vegetable breeders say the local food movement has created additional opportunities with a boom in organic farms, farmers markets and farm-to-table restaurants. The challenge is coming up with varieties consumers like, even if they can't always articulate what makes one ear of corn better than another.
"Apples are almost the only fruit or vegetable that when you go to the grocery store, you see 30 different apples all by name," said Bill Tracy, a sweet corn breeder who chairs the university's Department of Agronomy. "We could do the same thing for corn, and I'm not saying we need 30, but we could have a corn that's perfect for roasting, or soup use."
Horticulture professor Julie Dawson is leading a project in which vegetable breeders work with local farmers and chefs to figure out what makes vegetables taste great and then produce easy-to-grow varieties with outstanding flavor. Participating chefs receive weekly deliveries of produce that they evaluate on a 5-point scale for qualities like sweetness and texture.
Dan Bonanno, the chef at A Pig in a Fur Coat, estimated he's tasted 80 varieties of tomatoes — "I never knew there were so many different tomatoes" — since mid-July. For him, the big find has been a sweet corn bred to have a less sugary taste and firmer texture than most popular varieties.
"I ripped open the husk, took a bite, and it was like eating a pear," Bonanno said. "It was so juicy ... I'm like, wow, you can make a very nice sauce or gelato with it because it's already naturally sweet and buttery and it had so much water."
Very sweet corn, which most Americans have become accustomed to, becomes mushy when stirred into a dish like risotto, Tracy said, and the sugary taste may conflict with other ingredients.
"If we understand what chefs want, we can produce it," he said. And, Tracy is confident chefs will be able to sell those new varieties to the public, given how they have popularized ramps, broccolini and other once-obscure fruits and vegetables.
On Wednesday, chefs, farmers and members of the public sampled and rated Tracy's corn, along with multiple varieties of tomatoes, peppers and melon at a university farm in Verona. Dawson will use the information to see how closely the chefs' opinions match that of regular eaters and develop an evaluation system that can be used early in the breeding process to select the best-tasting prospects from hundreds of cultivars.
"The flavor is much harder to fix at the end," she said. "If you have the flavor, the other things are easier to fix."
That's where farmers come in.
Mark Voss has been testing five varieties of tomatoes at his urban farm, which supplies Madison restaurants. He looks for resistance to disease and good production, but taste and aesthetics are important, too.
The varieties include a few big tomatoes with bold flavor as well as some smaller, cocktail tomatoes that he's "not so passionate about" because they "take a long time to pick." He prefers bigger fruit with thin skins and a lot of flesh — characteristics that make tomatoes more likely to bruise during shipping but aren't a problem when he's selling locally.
"I think there's an inverse relationship between bruise-ability and flavor," Voss said.
That's the kind of feedback Dawson is seeking. "Because really," she said, "it has to work for farmers as well as chefs."
___
If You Go ...
Two more public tastings are scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sept. 22 and Oct. 24 at the UW West Madison Agricultural Research Station, 8502 Mineral Point Road, Verona, Wisconsin; 608-262-2257; http://www.news.wisc.edu/23065.
___
Follow M.L. Johnson on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MLJohnsonOnline.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/tastier-vegetables_n_5743990.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+NewsFrance Arrests 16-Year-Old Girl Suspected Of Trying To Join Islamists Rebels In Syria
PARIS, Aug 31 (Reuters) - A 16-year-old girl suspected of trying to reach Syria to join Islamist rebels has been arrested in the southeastern city of Nice, France's interior minister said on Sunday.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement that border police at Nice airport arrested the girl on Saturday, before her departure "for jihad".
A man around the age of 20 was later arrested on suspicion of being her recruiter and of purchasing her airline ticket to Turkey, in order to reach Syria.
Thousands of foreign fighters, many from Western Europe, have joined extremist Islamist groups fighting in Syria and Iraq, according to U.S. and European intelligence estimates.
France has made clamping down on radicalized Islamist cells a priority, but has not been able to stem a wave of its citizens and others, some as young as 14, from leaving France to join the Syrian civil war.
It estimates that approximately 800 of its citizen have left to join Islamist groups in Syria.
Cazeneuve unveiled measures in April to try to prevent young French Muslims and others from becoming radicalized, including a hotline set up for parents to signal suspicious behavior in their children.
Authorities have received nearly 300 tips via the hotline, the statement said, 45 percent of which involved women or young girls.
The family of the girl arrested on Saturday was not aware of her intentions, Cazeneuve said.
France's Muslim community is the biggest in the European Union, at 5 million. (Reporting By Alexandria Sage; Editing by Stephen Powell) Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/france-islamist-arrest_n_5744090.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Government Looking For Trains To Haul Radioactive Waste, But There's Nowhere For Them To Go
ATLANTA (AP) — The U.S. government is looking for trains to haul radioactive waste from nuclear power plants to disposal sites. Too bad those trains have nowhere to go.
Putting the cart before the horse, the U.S. Department of Energy recently asked companies for ideas on how the government should get the rail cars needed to haul 150-ton casks filled with used, radioactive nuclear fuel.
They won't be moving anytime soon. The latest government plans call for having an interim test storage site in 2021 and a long-term geologic depository in 2048.
No one knows where those sites will be, but the Obama administration is already thinking about contracts to develop, test and certify the necessary rail equipment.
U.S. Energy Department officials did not return messages seeking detailed comment. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Transportation share responsibility for regulating shipments.
"We know we're going to have to do it, so you might as well do it," said James Conca, senior scientist at the geoscience and environmental consulting firm UFA Ventures Inc. He has monitored a nuclear waste disposal site, helped design another and worked on cleanup efforts.
In a public solicitation, the Energy Department asked for opinions on whether it should buy or lease the rail cars. It expects the cars could last 30 years, run at standard speeds on regular tracks, accommodate the heavy protective casks and be used up to eight times annually. Besides a car to carry the cask, the trains would have buffer cars to maintain a safe distance between the crew and the radioactive cargo.
The U.S. military already sends fuel by rail from its reactors on Navy ships to federal labs for storage. The civilian power industry hauled more than 2,300 tons by rail from 1979 to 2007, averaging just over nine trips annually, according to NRC data.
Nuclear fuel is extremely hot and radioactive when it is removed from a reactor. Utilities first cool spent fuel in a water-filled pool, then can transfer it to massive casks that sit on land. Neither option is supposed to be final.
One of the biggest rail shippers was Progress Energy, which moved spent fuel from two of its plants to a third plant, Shearon Harris in North Carolina, because it had spare room in its spent fuel pool. The rail shipments prompted protests and appeals from environmental groups and local governments, and the company announced in 2003 it would halt those shipments after building land-based storage facilities at its other plants, eliminating the need for the transfers.
"Their story to us was that it was basically they were tired of fighting," said Jim Warren, executive director of NC WARN, which opposed the transfers on safety grounds.
The tracks were supposed to lead to a depository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, where Congress intended to send radioactive fuel. Instead, the Obama administration cancelled a project that had been criticized as inadequate and opposed by many Nevadans.
By law, the federal government is responsible for nuclear fuel disposal and once charged electric customers to fund its work. After a lawsuit, the Energy Department quit collecting that fee this year.
No one is certain what comes next. Federal timelines would put off many big decisions about a permanent resting place for the waste until long after Obama leaves office.
Industry officials are praising even limited signs of forward movement, including federal interest in a train.
"This is a good timing," said Everett Redmond, who works on waste policy for the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry lobbying group. "You don't want to wait until you're close to opening the facility to try and design a rail car."
___
Follow Ray Henry on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rhenryAP.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/radioactive-trains_n_5744084.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News3 Hostages Actually Just Hallucinating On Meth: Cops
Yes, this happened in Florida.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office responded last Sunday after reports that three people were screaming out of a home, claiming to have been taken hostage.
WMBB reports that authorities arrived at the residence and were told that the three supposed victims -- 18-year-old Madison Douglas, 21-year-old Damian Hines, and 30-year-old Matthew McDaniel -- had been taken hostage for several hours. They were also told the supposed hostages were shot at in the home.
Police soon discovered that the group had in fact hallucinated while on meth. Douglas said she had been stabbed by a suspect, but authorities said she had only a light scratch on her abdomen that was self-inflicted.
More from WMBB:
From left to right: Damian Hines, Madison Douglas, Matthew McDonlad
All three were charged with possession of meth, attempt to manufacture meth, felony criminal mischief, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/3-hallucinating-meth_n_5744144.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office responded last Sunday after reports that three people were screaming out of a home, claiming to have been taken hostage.
WMBB reports that authorities arrived at the residence and were told that the three supposed victims -- 18-year-old Madison Douglas, 21-year-old Damian Hines, and 30-year-old Matthew McDaniel -- had been taken hostage for several hours. They were also told the supposed hostages were shot at in the home.
Police soon discovered that the group had in fact hallucinated while on meth. Douglas said she had been stabbed by a suspect, but authorities said she had only a light scratch on her abdomen that was self-inflicted.
More from WMBB:
Numerous windows were shot out and holes were shot in the walls. They completely removed a large rear window from the house on the second floor and threw the bathroom sink at the imaginary attackers. Chunks of sheetrock, wood, firearm parts, and anything they could tear out of the residence was thrown outside including the toilet, which was ripped from the floor. In total, more than $10,000 damage was done to the residence.
All three were charged with possession of meth, attempt to manufacture meth, felony criminal mischief, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Like Us On Facebook | Follow Us On Twitter | Contact The AuthorSource: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/3-hallucinating-meth_n_5744144.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Motorcyclist Sends Cops On Chase, Brags About Speed: Cops
New Hampshire police say a motorcyclist clocked at 127 mph bragged after being arrested that he had reached 185 mph during the chase.
State police say 31-year-old David J. Fries, of Manchester, was spotted by a trooper on Interstate 93 in Bow at about 2:45 a.m. Saturday.
The first trooper eventually ended the chase, but another trooper saw Fries crash into a guardrail after he exited Interstate 393.
Police say Fries then led officers on an hourlong foot chase in Concord. He was subdued with help from a police dog.
Fries was treated for injuries from the crash and from the dog.
He faces a variety of charges and is being held on $30,000 bail.
It's unclear if he has a lawyer. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/motorcycle-brags-speed_n_5743846.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
State police say 31-year-old David J. Fries, of Manchester, was spotted by a trooper on Interstate 93 in Bow at about 2:45 a.m. Saturday.
The first trooper eventually ended the chase, but another trooper saw Fries crash into a guardrail after he exited Interstate 393.
Police say Fries then led officers on an hourlong foot chase in Concord. He was subdued with help from a police dog.
Fries was treated for injuries from the crash and from the dog.
He faces a variety of charges and is being held on $30,000 bail.
It's unclear if he has a lawyer. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/motorcycle-brags-speed_n_5743846.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Bill Nye 'Announces' Presidential Run With Neil deGrasse Tyson
"Bill Nye The Science POTUS" may have a nice ring to it, but would the famed "Science Guy" ever run for office?
A listener of the StarTalk Radio program, which was first hosted by renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, asked Nye that question in a recent episode.
His answer just may make your ears perk up. Check out the video above.
"Oh, sure, so Neil deGrasse Tyson and I are working on our cabinet," Nye says in the video, before offering positions to guest hosts comedian Eugene Mirman and former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino.
Let's just put that in context: Hillary Clinton hasn't even announced whether she will or will not run in 2016, and these two science guys are already shoring up their administration.
Nye's response was a joke, of course -- we doubt that there's really a "Secretary Of Court Jestering" position to hand out to one's radio friends -- but it makes us wonder what it would be like to have these two brilliant men in the highest offices in the land.
Nye/Tyson 2016, anyone? Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/bill-nye-neil-degrasse-tyson-for-president-video_n_5739052.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
A listener of the StarTalk Radio program, which was first hosted by renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, asked Nye that question in a recent episode.
His answer just may make your ears perk up. Check out the video above.
"Oh, sure, so Neil deGrasse Tyson and I are working on our cabinet," Nye says in the video, before offering positions to guest hosts comedian Eugene Mirman and former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino.
Let's just put that in context: Hillary Clinton hasn't even announced whether she will or will not run in 2016, and these two science guys are already shoring up their administration.
Nye's response was a joke, of course -- we doubt that there's really a "Secretary Of Court Jestering" position to hand out to one's radio friends -- but it makes us wonder what it would be like to have these two brilliant men in the highest offices in the land.
Nye/Tyson 2016, anyone? Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/bill-nye-neil-degrasse-tyson-for-president-video_n_5739052.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Katzen Hobbes Turns Herself Into Tiger Woman
When Katzen Hobbes was a toddler, she had dreams where she saw herself covered in tiger stripes.
When she was 18, she started making that dream a reality.
Now, at the age of 40, 90 percent of her body is covered in stripes.
"I still need a little bit of work under the right armpit and right ear, but I'm pretty close to completion," Hobbes told The Huffington Post. "But I might add something more."
Hobbes considers her body like a sculpture.
Unlike many people who start with one small tattoo and add others on without a firm goal in mind, she always wanted just tiger stripes.
"I wanted to be covered in tiger stripes when I was young, but it wasn't until I was 9 and living in Japan that I realized how I could do it," she said. "My mother said, 'Wait until you're 18."
Most of the feline tatting occurred between the ages of 18 and 28. More than 227 different tattoo artists have inked her up, including 23 at one time.
Hobbes isn't as catty as she used to be. For 14 years, she had plastic whisker piercings through her facial skin.
"I had them removed because I started to feel they affected my field of vision," she said. She turned to scarification and had six scars on her face to allude to the whiskers.
Hobbes works as a tattoo artist in Austin and as a sideshow performer for the 999 Eyes Freakshow. She feels both jobs allow her to show people that beauty comes from within.
"Most of us are more than skin deep," she said. "I feel more beautiful this way."
Hobbes will have a chance to demonstrate that in spades because she is one of the people who has been selected to appear in the newest Ripley's Believe It Or Not! book, "Reality Shock!" debuting Sept. 9.
"It's a bit of a dream come true because I've worked on a lot of projects that are hard to believe," she said. "I definitely read a lot of the books growing up. Robert Ripley was one of my idols."
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/katzen-hobbes_n_5717833.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
When she was 18, she started making that dream a reality.
Now, at the age of 40, 90 percent of her body is covered in stripes.
"I still need a little bit of work under the right armpit and right ear, but I'm pretty close to completion," Hobbes told The Huffington Post. "But I might add something more."
Hobbes considers her body like a sculpture.
Unlike many people who start with one small tattoo and add others on without a firm goal in mind, she always wanted just tiger stripes.
"I wanted to be covered in tiger stripes when I was young, but it wasn't until I was 9 and living in Japan that I realized how I could do it," she said. "My mother said, 'Wait until you're 18."
Most of the feline tatting occurred between the ages of 18 and 28. More than 227 different tattoo artists have inked her up, including 23 at one time.
Hobbes isn't as catty as she used to be. For 14 years, she had plastic whisker piercings through her facial skin.
"I had them removed because I started to feel they affected my field of vision," she said. She turned to scarification and had six scars on her face to allude to the whiskers.
Hobbes works as a tattoo artist in Austin and as a sideshow performer for the 999 Eyes Freakshow. She feels both jobs allow her to show people that beauty comes from within.
"Most of us are more than skin deep," she said. "I feel more beautiful this way."
Hobbes will have a chance to demonstrate that in spades because she is one of the people who has been selected to appear in the newest Ripley's Believe It Or Not! book, "Reality Shock!" debuting Sept. 9.
"It's a bit of a dream come true because I've worked on a lot of projects that are hard to believe," she said. "I definitely read a lot of the books growing up. Robert Ripley was one of my idols."
Like Us On Facebook | Follow Us On Twitter | Contact The AuthorSource: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/katzen-hobbes_n_5717833.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Barista-Stand Owner Faces Prostitution Charge
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — The owner of bikini coffee stands in Washington state banked more than $2 million in just three years because her baristas were also selling sex acts, according to local prosecutors.
Snohomish County prosecutors charged Carmela Panico, a 52-year-old former nude dancer, with promoting prostitution and money laundering, alleging that she operated drive-thru brothels throughout the county north of Seattle, The Everett Herald reported Thursday (http://bit.ly/1lliY1P ). Her baristas made money mostly on tips, saying they could earn hundreds of thousands of dollars, authorities said. The women said they could make up to $14 for baring their breasts or genitals and charged more for sex acts, according to charging documents.
"Panico's businesses were driven by prostitution and lewd behavior," Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Bob Hendrix wrote in the documents. Panico was charged Thursday, the newspaper reported.
Her attorney told Snohomish County Superior Court that she left the coffee business and sold some of her stands and leased others.
Authorities allege that she didn't report her full earnings to the Internal Revenue Service by dealing in large amounts of cash. A search at Panico's home last year resulted in the seizure of nearly $250,000.
The investigation has also led to the prosecution of a veteran sheriff's sergeant. Darrell O'Neill is accused of tipping off Panico and her workers to police scrutiny in return for sexual favors. O'Neill resigned after his arrest last year and has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for November.
Authorities allege that baristas had a certain dollar amount they were supposed to make for Panico, and the rest the women could keep.
"The sales goals were effectively rent that the girls paid to have the opportunity to perform lewd conduct or acts of prostitution," Hendrix wrote.
The documents say that Panico could deduct money if the women failed to wear high heels throughout their shifts, did not have a tan or failed to put on makeup.
___
Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/barista-owner-prostitution_n_5743730.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Snohomish County prosecutors charged Carmela Panico, a 52-year-old former nude dancer, with promoting prostitution and money laundering, alleging that she operated drive-thru brothels throughout the county north of Seattle, The Everett Herald reported Thursday (http://bit.ly/1lliY1P ). Her baristas made money mostly on tips, saying they could earn hundreds of thousands of dollars, authorities said. The women said they could make up to $14 for baring their breasts or genitals and charged more for sex acts, according to charging documents.
"Panico's businesses were driven by prostitution and lewd behavior," Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Bob Hendrix wrote in the documents. Panico was charged Thursday, the newspaper reported.
Her attorney told Snohomish County Superior Court that she left the coffee business and sold some of her stands and leased others.
Authorities allege that she didn't report her full earnings to the Internal Revenue Service by dealing in large amounts of cash. A search at Panico's home last year resulted in the seizure of nearly $250,000.
The investigation has also led to the prosecution of a veteran sheriff's sergeant. Darrell O'Neill is accused of tipping off Panico and her workers to police scrutiny in return for sexual favors. O'Neill resigned after his arrest last year and has pleaded not guilty. His trial is scheduled for November.
Authorities allege that baristas had a certain dollar amount they were supposed to make for Panico, and the rest the women could keep.
"The sales goals were effectively rent that the girls paid to have the opportunity to perform lewd conduct or acts of prostitution," Hendrix wrote.
The documents say that Panico could deduct money if the women failed to wear high heels throughout their shifts, did not have a tan or failed to put on makeup.
___
Information from: The Daily Herald, http://www.heraldnet.com Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/barista-owner-prostitution_n_5743730.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Park Ranger Reportedly Found Asleep With Beer Between Legs In Patrol Car, Placed On Leave
That's no way to protect the forest.
A California State Parks ranger was allegedly found drunk and asleep in his patrol car with a beer between his legs, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. He's been placed on leave and his peace officer status has been revoked pending an investigation, the paper noted, citing the California Highway Patrol.
A passerby spotted the ranger, Tyson Young, in Humboldt Redwoods State Park on Aug. 15 and first tried to wake Young. “I shook him, really shook him,” the observer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Lost Coast Outpost.
Then the man told the outlet he called 911 and took a photo of the ranger. The picture was Tweeted by the Lost Coast Outpost. California State Parks confirmed that Young is the man in the photo.
According to the outlets, Young eventually left the scene and was later pulled over and arrested on suspicion of drunk driving by the CHP. He reportedly faces a separate investigation by California State Parks.
Young carried a firearm as part of his job.
"We do not tolerate alcohol in the workplace," a parks spokeswoman told The Huffington Post.
The Lost Coast Journal wrote that Young "has served as the supervising ranger for Humboldt Redwoods and Richardson Grove state parks."
h/t Fark Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/park-ranger-beer-legs_n_5741730.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
A California State Parks ranger was allegedly found drunk and asleep in his patrol car with a beer between his legs, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. He's been placed on leave and his peace officer status has been revoked pending an investigation, the paper noted, citing the California Highway Patrol.
A passerby spotted the ranger, Tyson Young, in Humboldt Redwoods State Park on Aug. 15 and first tried to wake Young. “I shook him, really shook him,” the observer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Lost Coast Outpost.
Then the man told the outlet he called 911 and took a photo of the ranger. The picture was Tweeted by the Lost Coast Outpost. California State Parks confirmed that Young is the man in the photo.
State Park Ranger Found Unconscious in Patrol Car With Beer Between His Legs (PHOTO): http://t.co/31n0kYwijG
— Lost Coast Outpost (@LCOutpost) August 29, 2014According to the outlets, Young eventually left the scene and was later pulled over and arrested on suspicion of drunk driving by the CHP. He reportedly faces a separate investigation by California State Parks.
Young carried a firearm as part of his job.
"We do not tolerate alcohol in the workplace," a parks spokeswoman told The Huffington Post.
The Lost Coast Journal wrote that Young "has served as the supervising ranger for Humboldt Redwoods and Richardson Grove state parks."
h/t Fark Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/park-ranger-beer-legs_n_5741730.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Dog Turns On Stove, Sets Laptop On Fire
Police say a New Jersey family's dog turned on the stove, which caught the laptop resting on the burner on fire and sent smoke through the roof.
The fire was reported early Friday evening in Lacey Township while the owners were away.
Police tell the Asbury Park Press (http://on.app.com/1uanK1O) that investigators believe the dog accidentally turned on the stove, though they didn't specify how that occurred.
Police say heat from the stove eventually burned a laptop computer that had been left on top of the appliance. Smoke was pouring from the roof when firefighters arrived, but the blaze was quickly extinguished.
Firefighters rescued the dog, which emerged unscathed. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/dog-turns-on-stove_n_5743774.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The fire was reported early Friday evening in Lacey Township while the owners were away.
Police tell the Asbury Park Press (http://on.app.com/1uanK1O) that investigators believe the dog accidentally turned on the stove, though they didn't specify how that occurred.
Police say heat from the stove eventually burned a laptop computer that had been left on top of the appliance. Smoke was pouring from the roof when firefighters arrived, but the blaze was quickly extinguished.
Firefighters rescued the dog, which emerged unscathed. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/31/dog-turns-on-stove_n_5743774.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Saturday, 30 August 2014
Even Some Humanitarian Hounds Are Getting In On The Ice Bucket Challenge
The ALS ice bucket challenge has taken the world by storm as people have dumped buckets of ice over their heads for an important cause. (To date it has raised more than $100 million for the ALS Association.) Most recently though, the challenge has caught on with some adorable members of another species.
Watch these hilarious (and dog-safe!) spins below -- perhaps you'll even be inspired to get your own furry friend involved.
We love this for two reasons: 1. Ammo the dachshund has a shower cap on. A SHOWER CAP! 2. The owner uses warm water on Ammo, making the challenge completely dog-safe, and a whole lot more pleasant.
An ice bucket challenge in which doggie treats come out of the bucket? No wonder these pooches were completely thrilled to be "splashed!"
Ya know, just another heroic day in the life of this police pooch.
By now, you're probably familiar with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, because of this viral challenge, but did you know that dogs can be affected by a similar condition?
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) affects canines in a similar way ALS affects humans. DM is a progressive spinal-cord disorder that starts out causing weakness in the hind legs, and may eventually lead to paralysis of the dog's entire back end within six months to a year, according to the GA Veterinary Rehabilitation, Fitness & Pain Management clinic. There is currently no cure for DM.
Help support ALS research through the "Donate" button above. And learn more about DM here.
h/t Reshareworthy
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/ice-bucket-challenge-dogs_n_5737924.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Watch these hilarious (and dog-safe!) spins below -- perhaps you'll even be inspired to get your own furry friend involved.
We love this for two reasons: 1. Ammo the dachshund has a shower cap on. A SHOWER CAP! 2. The owner uses warm water on Ammo, making the challenge completely dog-safe, and a whole lot more pleasant.
An ice bucket challenge in which doggie treats come out of the bucket? No wonder these pooches were completely thrilled to be "splashed!"
Ya know, just another heroic day in the life of this police pooch.
By now, you're probably familiar with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, because of this viral challenge, but did you know that dogs can be affected by a similar condition?
Degenerative myelopathy (DM) affects canines in a similar way ALS affects humans. DM is a progressive spinal-cord disorder that starts out causing weakness in the hind legs, and may eventually lead to paralysis of the dog's entire back end within six months to a year, according to the GA Veterinary Rehabilitation, Fitness & Pain Management clinic. There is currently no cure for DM.
Help support ALS research through the "Donate" button above. And learn more about DM here.
h/t Reshareworthy
Like Us On Facebook Follow Us On Twitter Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/ice-bucket-challenge-dogs_n_5737924.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Kathy Griffin's Naked ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Will Leave You Speechless
Not that comedians are supposed to lend dignity to the ice bucket challenge -- but ahem.
Former "My Life On The D-List" subject Kathy Griffin went nude for her stunt to benefit research for the ALS Association.
While she's no stranger to partially undressing on television, this time she spared viewers of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" nothing, even spreading her legs at one point.
You do you, Kathy. You do you.
This is the one time we're thinking the censorship on "Kimmel" was totally necessary. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/kathy-griffin-naked-ice-bucket-kimmel-video_n_5741378.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Former "My Life On The D-List" subject Kathy Griffin went nude for her stunt to benefit research for the ALS Association.
While she's no stranger to partially undressing on television, this time she spared viewers of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" nothing, even spreading her legs at one point.
You do you, Kathy. You do you.
This is the one time we're thinking the censorship on "Kimmel" was totally necessary. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/kathy-griffin-naked-ice-bucket-kimmel-video_n_5741378.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
And Now: Here's Every Kid In Every Wes Anderson Movie Ever
Wes Anderson movies are known for sharing retro-inspired color palettes, zany characters, dysfunctional families, a flair for the exotic and romantic plots involving a young boy chasing a quirky girl.
The stand-up troupe UCB Comedy's Characters Welcome team has broken down the romances from pretty much every Wes Anderson flick. Comedian Matthew Starr plays the video's eponymous "Kid in Every Wes Anderson Movie." His character's name is Thomas E. Fredericks (the E is for echinacea), and he's a 14-year-old doorman in search of his lady love -- with his acoustic guitar and captain's hat in tow.
"I'm seeking a lady love," Fredericks says to the camera while strumming an acoustic guitar.
"She's definitely a girl," he decides. "So she likes all of the things that girls like. Like cigarettes and binoculars. And she's definitely wearing a beret, and she has a wooden finger or a wooden toe or a glass eye. I'm not picky. And she definitely has a dead husband, who died exploring the Antarctic or some bullshit."
Eventually, he finds out his lady love is actually standing right next to him. Her name is Coriander, obviously, and she can only be contacted by carrier falcon.
Yep, that's an Anderson kind of girl. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/ucb-kid-in-ever-wes-anderson-movie-video_n_5738760.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The stand-up troupe UCB Comedy's Characters Welcome team has broken down the romances from pretty much every Wes Anderson flick. Comedian Matthew Starr plays the video's eponymous "Kid in Every Wes Anderson Movie." His character's name is Thomas E. Fredericks (the E is for echinacea), and he's a 14-year-old doorman in search of his lady love -- with his acoustic guitar and captain's hat in tow.
"I'm seeking a lady love," Fredericks says to the camera while strumming an acoustic guitar.
"She's definitely a girl," he decides. "So she likes all of the things that girls like. Like cigarettes and binoculars. And she's definitely wearing a beret, and she has a wooden finger or a wooden toe or a glass eye. I'm not picky. And she definitely has a dead husband, who died exploring the Antarctic or some bullshit."
Eventually, he finds out his lady love is actually standing right next to him. Her name is Coriander, obviously, and she can only be contacted by carrier falcon.
Yep, that's an Anderson kind of girl. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/ucb-kid-in-ever-wes-anderson-movie-video_n_5738760.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Former Japanese Star Takeshi Yamasaki Tries To Hit 186 Mile An Hour Pitch
Takeshi Yamasaki hit 403 home runs in Japanese baseball -- against human beings. But against a pitching machine hurling the ball at about 186 miles per hour (300 kilometers per hour), he's no slugger. All he can do is laugh. And that's all we can do, too, watching this recently posted clip from a Japanese television show.
The man vs. fastball battle, such as it is, heats up at the 3:30 mark. Don't blink. You'll miss the pitch.
h/t Sports Illustrated
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/hit-186-mile-an-hour-pitch_n_5741202.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The man vs. fastball battle, such as it is, heats up at the 3:30 mark. Don't blink. You'll miss the pitch.
h/t Sports Illustrated
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/hit-186-mile-an-hour-pitch_n_5741202.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Teen With Amazingly Long Neck To Undergo Surgery (PHOTO)
Surgeons are helping a teenager save his neck by shortening it.
Fu Wengui, 15, of Beijing, is preparing to go under the knife because he's reportedly caused immense pain by the three extra vertebrae in his neck.
The teen has 10 vertebrae in his neck while the average person has seven, according to Quirky China, which released photos of him at the hospital. The vertebrae compress his nerves, making it difficult for him to walk.
"When he was six he was diagnosed with congenital scoliosis and abnormal chest frame," Wengui's father, Fu Genyou, told agency.
Congenital scoliosis is a spinal deformity caused by abnormally formed vertebrae, and usually occurs in early development, according to the Scoliosis Research Society. Wengui's surgery will reduce the size of his neck and hopefully enhance movement and reduce pain.
A Beijing-based charity will sponsor his surgery at Chaoyang Hospital, which is working on a treatment plan, according to Quirky News' press release.
"I just hope I can have a normal neck," Wengui said.
(h/t Daily Mail) Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/teen-with-long-neck-photo_n_5731198.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Fu Wengui, 15, of Beijing, is preparing to go under the knife because he's reportedly caused immense pain by the three extra vertebrae in his neck.
The teen has 10 vertebrae in his neck while the average person has seven, according to Quirky China, which released photos of him at the hospital. The vertebrae compress his nerves, making it difficult for him to walk.
"When he was six he was diagnosed with congenital scoliosis and abnormal chest frame," Wengui's father, Fu Genyou, told agency.
Congenital scoliosis is a spinal deformity caused by abnormally formed vertebrae, and usually occurs in early development, according to the Scoliosis Research Society. Wengui's surgery will reduce the size of his neck and hopefully enhance movement and reduce pain.
A Beijing-based charity will sponsor his surgery at Chaoyang Hospital, which is working on a treatment plan, according to Quirky News' press release.
"I just hope I can have a normal neck," Wengui said.
(h/t Daily Mail) Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/teen-with-long-neck-photo_n_5731198.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
You Cannot Unsee The Air Sex World Championships (NSFW VIDEO)
The 6th-annual Air Sex World Championships reached its climax in New York City Thursday, when a handful of New York’s biggest libidos drank enough beer to get on stage and simulate sex. Alone. With (most of) their clothes on.
The nationwide tour -- which we’ve covered for years -- features a “sport” that’s a lot like air guitar, if you replace guitars with your imaginary friend’s air-privates and comedy. HuffPost videographers Oliver Noble and Ben Craw erected video evidence of New York’s night moves above, and we should warn you, it’s extremely NSFW and profoundly hilarious.
But why is air sex getting everyone so hot and bothered?
“The Air Sex Championship is not only the world’s greatest form of entertainment -- it’s also educational and inspiring,” the tour’s commissioner, Chris Trew, told HuffPost Weird News. “It’s a celebration of sex, a positive sex show. You’re making love to an invisible person or object.”
There are only two rules on stage at the Air Sex World Championships: all climaxes must be simulated, and there must always be another (imaginary) person on stage during your routine. A panel of judges -- featuring fornication legends like porn star Lisa Ann -- critiques each contestant, and the audience chooses the winner.
This year, Adam Wilson -- stage name “Tootenanny” -- was the crowd favorite and won for a second time, likely based on his weird prop. Watch the video above to see for yourself, and if you think you’re breezy enough to be a Casanova of air sex, sign up at a city near you next time.
Video by Ben Craw and Oliver Noble Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/air-sex-world-champions_n_5740842.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The nationwide tour -- which we’ve covered for years -- features a “sport” that’s a lot like air guitar, if you replace guitars with your imaginary friend’s air-privates and comedy. HuffPost videographers Oliver Noble and Ben Craw erected video evidence of New York’s night moves above, and we should warn you, it’s extremely NSFW and profoundly hilarious.
But why is air sex getting everyone so hot and bothered?
“The Air Sex Championship is not only the world’s greatest form of entertainment -- it’s also educational and inspiring,” the tour’s commissioner, Chris Trew, told HuffPost Weird News. “It’s a celebration of sex, a positive sex show. You’re making love to an invisible person or object.”
There are only two rules on stage at the Air Sex World Championships: all climaxes must be simulated, and there must always be another (imaginary) person on stage during your routine. A panel of judges -- featuring fornication legends like porn star Lisa Ann -- critiques each contestant, and the audience chooses the winner.
This year, Adam Wilson -- stage name “Tootenanny” -- was the crowd favorite and won for a second time, likely based on his weird prop. Watch the video above to see for yourself, and if you think you’re breezy enough to be a Casanova of air sex, sign up at a city near you next time.
Video by Ben Craw and Oliver Noble Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/air-sex-world-champions_n_5740842.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Charmella Triggs, Bryanna Warren, Trinity Kennard Hid Stolen Rolexes In Vaginas: Cops
Three women are accused of stealing two Rolex watches from a pair of male tourists by hiding the timepieces in two of the suspects' sex organs.
The alleged robberies took place Aug. 17 at the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas. Two of the suspects, Charmella Triggs and Bryanna Warren met one of the victims at a hotel bar.
After some conversation, the group returned to a hotel room that the man was sharing with his friend. The group was soon joined by another suspect, Trinity Kennard. The man's friend arrived a short time later, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
The victims and suspects then started to have sex, according to the police report. Sometime during the sex, the victims were persuaded to remove their Rolex watches, one valued at $12,000 and the other worth around $4,000.
A short time later, the victims realized their watches were missing.
One of the men chased the suspects down the hall, but backed off when Triggs activated a stun gun near the elevator.
According to the police report, surveillance video shows two of the women hiking up their dresses inside the elevator and inserting foreign objects into their vaginal areas.
Meanwhile, the victims notified security and the women were arrested by Las Vegas Police at the taxi pick-up area of the Encore.
While the women were detained at the hotel, officers recovered a stun gun and one of the watches. Kennard later produced a watch from her sex organ during a strip search at Clark County Detention Center, KPTV TV reports.
The three women were booked on counts of burglary, conspiracy to commit grand larceny and conspiracy to commit robbery, according to KMOV.com.
They are due in court Sept. 3.
Trinity Kennard seems surprised to be behind bars, according to a jailhouse interview she gave to KNTV.
"I thought when stuff like this happens it's just like a personal thing. I didn't think police would get involved and I could go to jail," she said.
This is actually the second vagina smuggling case reported in Las Vegas this year.
In January, Las Vegas masseuse Christina Lafave was accused of snatching a customer’s $35,000 Rolex at the Wynn Las Vegas and concealing it in her vagina.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/charmella-triggs-bryanna-warren-trinity-kennard_n_5738012.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The alleged robberies took place Aug. 17 at the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas. Two of the suspects, Charmella Triggs and Bryanna Warren met one of the victims at a hotel bar.
After some conversation, the group returned to a hotel room that the man was sharing with his friend. The group was soon joined by another suspect, Trinity Kennard. The man's friend arrived a short time later, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
The victims and suspects then started to have sex, according to the police report. Sometime during the sex, the victims were persuaded to remove their Rolex watches, one valued at $12,000 and the other worth around $4,000.
A short time later, the victims realized their watches were missing.
One of the men chased the suspects down the hall, but backed off when Triggs activated a stun gun near the elevator.
According to the police report, surveillance video shows two of the women hiking up their dresses inside the elevator and inserting foreign objects into their vaginal areas.
Meanwhile, the victims notified security and the women were arrested by Las Vegas Police at the taxi pick-up area of the Encore.
While the women were detained at the hotel, officers recovered a stun gun and one of the watches. Kennard later produced a watch from her sex organ during a strip search at Clark County Detention Center, KPTV TV reports.
The three women were booked on counts of burglary, conspiracy to commit grand larceny and conspiracy to commit robbery, according to KMOV.com.
They are due in court Sept. 3.
Trinity Kennard seems surprised to be behind bars, according to a jailhouse interview she gave to KNTV.
"I thought when stuff like this happens it's just like a personal thing. I didn't think police would get involved and I could go to jail," she said.
This is actually the second vagina smuggling case reported in Las Vegas this year.
In January, Las Vegas masseuse Christina Lafave was accused of snatching a customer’s $35,000 Rolex at the Wynn Las Vegas and concealing it in her vagina.
Like Us On Facebook | Follow Us On Twitter | Contact The AuthorSource: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/charmella-triggs-bryanna-warren-trinity-kennard_n_5738012.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Latest 'American Horror Story: Freak Show' Teaser Is Seriously Twisted
If you thought the "American Horror Story: Freak Show" teaser with the three-legged acrobat from earlier this week was crazy, this new one is even crazier.
The latest teaser for "AHS," revealed by Entertainment Weekly, shows a female contortionist lifting her feet backwards towards her head until -- wait, she has a third leg too! Apparently there are a lot of women with three legs in Ryan Murphy's carnival universe, but we're okay with that (this is a freak show, guys).
In case you missed the other creepy new teasers for the upcoming fourth season, there was also a man with a split tongue, an odd-looking hand and the very first look at the cast in costume.
After all these teasers, we have a feeling that Murphy and FX are planning to drop the first official trailer soon. Till then, keep enjoying the brief glimpses at the freak show that's to come.
[via EW]
"American Horror Story: Freak Show" premiere on Oct. 8 on FX.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/ahs-freak-show-teaser_n_5741000.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The latest teaser for "AHS," revealed by Entertainment Weekly, shows a female contortionist lifting her feet backwards towards her head until -- wait, she has a third leg too! Apparently there are a lot of women with three legs in Ryan Murphy's carnival universe, but we're okay with that (this is a freak show, guys).
In case you missed the other creepy new teasers for the upcoming fourth season, there was also a man with a split tongue, an odd-looking hand and the very first look at the cast in costume.
After all these teasers, we have a feeling that Murphy and FX are planning to drop the first official trailer soon. Till then, keep enjoying the brief glimpses at the freak show that's to come.
[via EW]
"American Horror Story: Freak Show" premiere on Oct. 8 on FX.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/ahs-freak-show-teaser_n_5741000.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
These Wacky Facts About Goats Are A Bleating Good Time
Goats are kind of a big deal on the Internet these days. But how much do you really know about them?
For instance, did you know that their rectangular-shaped pupils are positioned on the sides of their head, giving them the ability to see a full 280 degrees horizontally? As you can imagine, vision like that isn't such a terrible thing when you're a meal option for a host of predators.
But that's not all. There are a ton more amazing things to learn about goats. Just check out the video above from the PBS Digital Studios series "It's Okay To Be Smart." It'll teach you all the bleating fun facts you likely never knew about goats.
You're welcome. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/science-goats-its-okay-to-be-smart-video_n_5738266.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
For instance, did you know that their rectangular-shaped pupils are positioned on the sides of their head, giving them the ability to see a full 280 degrees horizontally? As you can imagine, vision like that isn't such a terrible thing when you're a meal option for a host of predators.
But that's not all. There are a ton more amazing things to learn about goats. Just check out the video above from the PBS Digital Studios series "It's Okay To Be Smart." It'll teach you all the bleating fun facts you likely never knew about goats.
You're welcome. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/science-goats-its-okay-to-be-smart-video_n_5738266.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Bacon Is So Damn Delicious, Even Vegetarians Can't Resist It
Bacon is one of America's sweethearts. It's a darling, succulent food that pairs flawlessly with breakfast and instantaneously improves any bloody Mary. Plus, bacon certainly knows how to complement a burger. It also has standalone power: Bacon tastes just as incredible when simply plucked from the frying pan, dripping its own fatty bacon juices.
Another great thing about bacon? You can wrap it around just about anything. Like doughnuts. And hot dogs. Seriously. In honor of International Bacon Day (Aug. 30) we encourage you to wrap bacon around any food you can get your hands on. Here's a little inspiration below.
(See more bacon-wrapped recipes here.)
And still, the impressiveness of bacon spans beyond its ability to be wrapped around other foods. Bacon can change people.
Bacon's flavor is so irresistible that even those who identify as vegetarians will stray from their restrictions to have a taste. According to data specialists at EAT Club, a California-based lunch delivery service, 7 percent of claimed vegetarians and vegans have deviated for an entrée containing bacon. Bacon might consider running for president one day. Learn a little more about bacon's political power in the infographic below and then please (please!) go enjoy some for your next meal.
Courtesy of EAT Club
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Follow HuffPost's board Bacon -- It's All About The Bacon on Pinterest. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/bacon-day-no-one-can-resist-sizzle_n_5700919.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Another great thing about bacon? You can wrap it around just about anything. Like doughnuts. And hot dogs. Seriously. In honor of International Bacon Day (Aug. 30) we encourage you to wrap bacon around any food you can get your hands on. Here's a little inspiration below.
(See more bacon-wrapped recipes here.)
And still, the impressiveness of bacon spans beyond its ability to be wrapped around other foods. Bacon can change people.
Bacon's flavor is so irresistible that even those who identify as vegetarians will stray from their restrictions to have a taste. According to data specialists at EAT Club, a California-based lunch delivery service, 7 percent of claimed vegetarians and vegans have deviated for an entrée containing bacon. Bacon might consider running for president one day. Learn a little more about bacon's political power in the infographic below and then please (please!) go enjoy some for your next meal.
Courtesy of EAT Club
Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr.
Follow HuffPost's board Bacon -- It's All About The Bacon on Pinterest. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/bacon-day-no-one-can-resist-sizzle_n_5700919.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Friday, 29 August 2014
Here's A Hermit Crab Shelter Because Why Not?
Read the original story on ArchDaily
by Sadia Quddus
© Aki Inomata
How could hermit crabs teach us a lesson about world peace? In her project, titled, “Why Not Hand Over a “Shelter” to Hermit Crabs?” Japanese media design artist Aki Inomata is inspired by hermit crabs’ peaceable exchange of their shells, a metaphor for the peaceful exchange of land between countries. Exploring the theme further, she designs new shelters in the shape of world cities, and provides new homes for the crabs which represent the abstract perception of changing nationalities and identities.
© Aki Inomata
The concept for the project was inspired by Inomata’s participation in the 2009 “No Man’s Land” exhibition held at the French Embassy in Japan. The exhibit, a response to the fact that the land of the former French Embassy was handed back to Japan in October 2009 for fifty years before France resumes ownership, provoked deeper questions within the artist.
© Aki Inomata
"The same piece of land is peacefully transferred from one country to the other. These kinds of things take place without our being aware of it. On the other hand, similar events are not unrelated to us as individuals.” Thus, she explores the idea of changing nationalities through migration, displacement, and the very primal search for a physical and symbolic home. In Japanese, hermit crabs are called “yadokari,” a word that translates literally to “one who lives in a temporary dwelling.” These crabs became the perfect metaphor for migrants and refugees.
© Aki Inomata
Using CT scans, Inomata studied the natural makeup and structure of the hermit crabs’ shells, using 3DCG data to 3D-print the shelters. The shelters, about 50mm x 50mm x 50 mm in size, are designed in the shape of various cities worldwide to represent changing identities.
© Aki Inomata
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/hermit-crab-shelter_n_5737430.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
by Sadia Quddus
How could hermit crabs teach us a lesson about world peace? In her project, titled, “Why Not Hand Over a “Shelter” to Hermit Crabs?” Japanese media design artist Aki Inomata is inspired by hermit crabs’ peaceable exchange of their shells, a metaphor for the peaceful exchange of land between countries. Exploring the theme further, she designs new shelters in the shape of world cities, and provides new homes for the crabs which represent the abstract perception of changing nationalities and identities.
Process of "Why Hand Over a 'Shelter' to Hermit Crabs? " AKI INOMATA from Aki Inomata on Vimeo.
The concept for the project was inspired by Inomata’s participation in the 2009 “No Man’s Land” exhibition held at the French Embassy in Japan. The exhibit, a response to the fact that the land of the former French Embassy was handed back to Japan in October 2009 for fifty years before France resumes ownership, provoked deeper questions within the artist.
"The same piece of land is peacefully transferred from one country to the other. These kinds of things take place without our being aware of it. On the other hand, similar events are not unrelated to us as individuals.” Thus, she explores the idea of changing nationalities through migration, displacement, and the very primal search for a physical and symbolic home. In Japanese, hermit crabs are called “yadokari,” a word that translates literally to “one who lives in a temporary dwelling.” These crabs became the perfect metaphor for migrants and refugees.
Using CT scans, Inomata studied the natural makeup and structure of the hermit crabs’ shells, using 3DCG data to 3D-print the shelters. The shelters, about 50mm x 50mm x 50 mm in size, are designed in the shape of various cities worldwide to represent changing identities.
Why Not Hand A Hermit Crab a Shelter? originally appeared on ArchDaily, the most visited architecture website on 25 Jun 2014.
send to Twitter | Share on Facebook | What do you think about this?
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/hermit-crab-shelter_n_5737430.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+NewsKnow How This Woman's Facebook Post Helped Convict Her? Take The Fark Weird News Quiz
Sadie Renee Johnson got in trouble for something that she bragged about on Facebook.
If you know what it is, take the Fark Weird News Quiz.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/fark-weird-news-quiz_n_5739258.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
If you know what it is, take the Fark Weird News Quiz.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/fark-weird-news-quiz_n_5739258.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Teacher Krista Hodges Reprimanded For Threatening Tweets
NEWARK, Calif. (AP) — A teacher in Northern California has been disciplined for making threatening and explicit remarks about students on her Twitter account.
The Newark Unified School District gave a written reprimand to Newark High School teacher Krista Hodges, who tweeted between April and June that she wanted to stab and pour coffee on some of her students, according to the Oakland Tribune (http://bit.ly/1Cb0beT ). In one tweet she said some students "make my trigger finger itchy."
Interim Superintendent Tim Irwin says he consulted state education law, the Newark school board's policy and the teacher's union contract before disciplining Hodges.
Newark police are also investigating.
Hodges, who continues to teach at the school, says she deeply regrets sending the tweets and never expected anybody would take her seriously.
She has since deleted her account.
___
Information from: The Oakland Tribune, http://www.oaklandtribune.com Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/krista-hodges_n_5739554.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The Newark Unified School District gave a written reprimand to Newark High School teacher Krista Hodges, who tweeted between April and June that she wanted to stab and pour coffee on some of her students, according to the Oakland Tribune (http://bit.ly/1Cb0beT ). In one tweet she said some students "make my trigger finger itchy."
Interim Superintendent Tim Irwin says he consulted state education law, the Newark school board's policy and the teacher's union contract before disciplining Hodges.
Newark police are also investigating.
Hodges, who continues to teach at the school, says she deeply regrets sending the tweets and never expected anybody would take her seriously.
She has since deleted her account.
___
Information from: The Oakland Tribune, http://www.oaklandtribune.com Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/krista-hodges_n_5739554.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Cops Say Chelsie Berry And Jared Prier Posed For Selfies With Dead Friend
Authorities in southwest Missouri say Chelsie Berry and Jared Prier posed for a selfie with the body of a friend who died from a drug overdose.
Berry, 24 and Prier, 26, are charged with voluntary manslaughter and abandonment of a corpse in the death of 30-year-old Dennis "Nathan" Meyer.
The pair was taken into police custody on Wednesday, after a tipster alerted police to Facebook photos that allegedly show Berry and Prier posing with Meyer's body, police said.
"He appeared certainly to be deceased," Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland told News Talk KZRG of at least one of the selfies.
According to a probable-cause affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun, Berry told police she was hanging out with Meyer on the night of August 21, when he injected himself with the painkiller Dilaudid, a narcotic pain reliever.
"Chelsie stated that Nathan shot the Dilaudid up into his vein and started acting 'crazy' by pulling his penis out and saying strange things," the arrest affidavit reads.
Berry told police Meyer's bizarre behavior made her nervous, so she called Prier, who met up with them a short time later. Berry, according to the affidavit, said she hung out in the parking lot of a McDonald's restaurant, while Myer was “passed out” in the vehicle they were using.
The trio later drove to a convenience store, at which time they allegedly checked on Meyer and discovered he was not breathing, police said.
Berry allegedly told police she was afraid to call an ambulance for Meyer because she and Prier were "high on meth and Xanax."
Instead of getting help, the pair posed for a “selfie” with Meyer before moving his body from the front seat to the back seat, "because they did not want to look at him any longer and also the fact that he began to smell bad,” the affidavit states.
Berry allegedly told police they drove around "looking for a place to dump the body," before eventually settling on the rural Newton County driveway, where it was later found.
The arrest affidavit states the coroner determined Meyer's "breathing would have been faint" in the hours leading up to his death and that it "would have taken a while" for him to die.
According to Missourinet.com, authorities are still trying to determine Meyer's official cause of death, but drug overdose has been referenced as a possible cause.
Berry and Prier are both being held in the Newton County Jail on $50,000 bond.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/dennis-nathan-meyer_n_5738024.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Berry, 24 and Prier, 26, are charged with voluntary manslaughter and abandonment of a corpse in the death of 30-year-old Dennis "Nathan" Meyer.
Chelsie Berry (left) and Jared Prier.
The pair was taken into police custody on Wednesday, after a tipster alerted police to Facebook photos that allegedly show Berry and Prier posing with Meyer's body, police said.
"He appeared certainly to be deceased," Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland told News Talk KZRG of at least one of the selfies.
According to a probable-cause affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun, Berry told police she was hanging out with Meyer on the night of August 21, when he injected himself with the painkiller Dilaudid, a narcotic pain reliever.
"Chelsie stated that Nathan shot the Dilaudid up into his vein and started acting 'crazy' by pulling his penis out and saying strange things," the arrest affidavit reads.
Berry told police Meyer's bizarre behavior made her nervous, so she called Prier, who met up with them a short time later. Berry, according to the affidavit, said she hung out in the parking lot of a McDonald's restaurant, while Myer was “passed out” in the vehicle they were using.
The trio later drove to a convenience store, at which time they allegedly checked on Meyer and discovered he was not breathing, police said.
Berry allegedly told police she was afraid to call an ambulance for Meyer because she and Prier were "high on meth and Xanax."
Instead of getting help, the pair posed for a “selfie” with Meyer before moving his body from the front seat to the back seat, "because they did not want to look at him any longer and also the fact that he began to smell bad,” the affidavit states.
Berry allegedly told police they drove around "looking for a place to dump the body," before eventually settling on the rural Newton County driveway, where it was later found.
The arrest affidavit states the coroner determined Meyer's "breathing would have been faint" in the hours leading up to his death and that it "would have taken a while" for him to die.
According to Missourinet.com, authorities are still trying to determine Meyer's official cause of death, but drug overdose has been referenced as a possible cause.
Berry and Prier are both being held in the Newton County Jail on $50,000 bond.
Like Us On Facebook | Follow Us On Twitter | Contact The AuthorSource: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/dennis-nathan-meyer_n_5738024.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The Most Cringeworthy Autocorrects Of The Month
Autocorrect can make texting fast and easy. Or, it can make your mom sound like a total perv.
In case you haven't giggled enough this month, check out the funniest autocorrects that August 2014 had to offer, courtesy of Damn You Autocorrect.
And no, we have never meant to say "ducking".
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/28/funny-autocorrects-august-2014-pictures_n_5731806.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
In case you haven't giggled enough this month, check out the funniest autocorrects that August 2014 had to offer, courtesy of Damn You Autocorrect.
And no, we have never meant to say "ducking".
Half-ton Alabama Alligator Sets World Record
CAMDEN, Ala. (AP) — A gigantic alligator caught by a family in Alabama earlier this month has set a Safari Club International world record.
AL.com reports (http://bit.ly/1zT6HTu ) a pair of master measurers from Safari Club International examined the 1,000-pound alligator on Friday, determining a total length of 15-feet, 9-inches. That's 13 inches longer than the organization's previous world record American alligator, which had been killed in Texas.
The Alabama alligator was caught by the Stokes family after battling with it for more than five hours. It was hooked in a creek about 80 miles west of Montgomery.
The first attempt to weigh the gator destroyed a winch state biologists typically use, so they had a backhoe lift it. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/world-record-alligator_n_5738998.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
AL.com reports (http://bit.ly/1zT6HTu ) a pair of master measurers from Safari Club International examined the 1,000-pound alligator on Friday, determining a total length of 15-feet, 9-inches. That's 13 inches longer than the organization's previous world record American alligator, which had been killed in Texas.
The Alabama alligator was caught by the Stokes family after battling with it for more than five hours. It was hooked in a creek about 80 miles west of Montgomery.
The first attempt to weigh the gator destroyed a winch state biologists typically use, so they had a backhoe lift it. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/world-record-alligator_n_5738998.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
5 Seconds Of Summer's Calum Hood Sends Naked Snapchat, Then Shrugs It Off With Emoticon
He looks so perfect standing there without his American Apparel underwear. IT'S TOO EASY!
5 Seconds of Summer's Calum Hood, 18, sent a naked Snapchat video of his penis to a fan. The fan filmed the clip (duh) and uploaded it to Vine. The caption reads, "CALUMS DICK I'M SCREAMING."
We can't see his face in the video, but Hood owned up to the footage and tweeted a response.
See the full Vine over at Spin. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/calum-hood-naked_n_5737570.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
5 Seconds of Summer's Calum Hood, 18, sent a naked Snapchat video of his penis to a fan. The fan filmed the clip (duh) and uploaded it to Vine. The caption reads, "CALUMS DICK I'M SCREAMING."
We can't see his face in the video, but Hood owned up to the footage and tweeted a response.
Least ya know what it looks like now
— Calum Hood (@Calum5SOS) August 29, 2014I'm still just a teenage kid learning from mistakes :)
— Calum Hood (@Calum5SOS) August 29, 2014See the full Vine over at Spin. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/calum-hood-naked_n_5737570.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Reggie Stewart Accused Of Making 10-month-old Take 'Ice Bucket Challenge'
A grandfather in Houston, Texas, may be in trouble with the law after allegedly making his 10-month-old granddaughter take the ice bucket challenge.
Earlier this week, Reggie Stewart posted a video of himself taking the ice bucket challenge. While he is challenging others, the granddaughter sits in a walker trying to grab the bucket full of ice.
"I've been called out for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge… and my granddaughter … is going to do it with me," he said a few seconds before dumping the freezing water on himself and the child.
The video ends before the girl's reaction can be seen, but the site of a little girl being drenched with at least a gallon of chilly water left a burning impression on Claude Dalcour, who claims to be the girl's father.
"I was shocked, appalled. It brought me to tears, like I was hurt, angry. That's all I can say," Dalcour told Fox26.com. "It's abuse because my daughter is an infant. She doesn't know what's going on."
Dalcour said he is still married to the girl's mother, but the two are separated.
WATCH: Grandfather Makes Toddler Do Ice Bucket Challenge (Story continues below)
Dalcour said he reported the video to local law enforcement officers, who have reportedly visited Stewart's home to check on the child’s welfare, the Houston Chronicle reports.
The Texas Department of Children and Families was also contacted, but the agency would not confirm whether it is investigating the allegations, KHOU TV reports.
Stewart has not been charged with any crime, the station reports.
Stewart has not responded to media inquiries, but has since removed the video from his page.
He still has a photo of the girl as his profile picture.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/reggie-stewart_n_5737226.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Earlier this week, Reggie Stewart posted a video of himself taking the ice bucket challenge. While he is challenging others, the granddaughter sits in a walker trying to grab the bucket full of ice.
"I've been called out for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge… and my granddaughter … is going to do it with me," he said a few seconds before dumping the freezing water on himself and the child.
The video ends before the girl's reaction can be seen, but the site of a little girl being drenched with at least a gallon of chilly water left a burning impression on Claude Dalcour, who claims to be the girl's father.
"I was shocked, appalled. It brought me to tears, like I was hurt, angry. That's all I can say," Dalcour told Fox26.com. "It's abuse because my daughter is an infant. She doesn't know what's going on."
Dalcour said he is still married to the girl's mother, but the two are separated.
WATCH: Grandfather Makes Toddler Do Ice Bucket Challenge (Story continues below)
Dalcour said he reported the video to local law enforcement officers, who have reportedly visited Stewart's home to check on the child’s welfare, the Houston Chronicle reports.
The Texas Department of Children and Families was also contacted, but the agency would not confirm whether it is investigating the allegations, KHOU TV reports.
Stewart has not been charged with any crime, the station reports.
Stewart has not responded to media inquiries, but has since removed the video from his page.
He still has a photo of the girl as his profile picture.
Like Us On Facebook | Follow Us On Twitter | Contact The AuthorSource: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/reggie-stewart_n_5737226.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
August's Best News Bloopers Will Help You Say Goodbye To Summer
Summer 2014, we hardly knew you. And if this collection of August news bloopers is any indication, our nation's news anchors hardly knew anything.
Via Blame It On The Voices Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/august-news-bloopers-video_n_5737776.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Via Blame It On The Voices Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/august-news-bloopers-video_n_5737776.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Proud Dad Introduces 'New Mini' To The World Via Clever Apple Parody Website
This is a baby announcement like you've never seen it.
A former Apple employee crafted a clever website to announce the August 22 birth of his son, Jonathan Henry, by fashioning it in the style of an Apple product announcement page. Simple. Sleek. Adorable.
"Hello, Baby," the website's homepage reads. "Introducing Jonathan, the brand new mini."
The brains behind the "new mini" is Andreas Kleinke of Munich, Germany, who previously worked as a training manager for Apple from 1999 to 2001, according to TODAY Parents. He says the idea for the website came about during a trip to an Apple store last year, when he and his wife bought their baby-to-be a onesie that had the phrase “brand new mini“ written on it.
“When his due date was approaching, I started to think about how to break the news to friends and family once the big day arrived (and) I remembered the ‘brand new mini’ thing,” Kleinke told TODAY.
The adorable site is chock-full of Apple-inspired features like built-in apps titled iEat, iPoop, iSleep, That's it.
The "new mini's" product description is also written in Apple lingo: "The brand new Jonathan (Mid-2014) features a 20-inch seamless unibody enclosure made from a single, solid block of beauty. Ten meticulously aligned fingers deliver the perfect multi-touch experience. Plus, he comes fully equipped with not just one but two iSight cameras, each delivering images in stunning Retina resolution. Dual microphones on both sides catch every sound."
Not mentioned: the new model's seriously cool dad. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/apple-baby-website-new-mini-andreas-kleinke_n_5737670.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
A former Apple employee crafted a clever website to announce the August 22 birth of his son, Jonathan Henry, by fashioning it in the style of an Apple product announcement page. Simple. Sleek. Adorable.
"Hello, Baby," the website's homepage reads. "Introducing Jonathan, the brand new mini."
The brains behind the "new mini" is Andreas Kleinke of Munich, Germany, who previously worked as a training manager for Apple from 1999 to 2001, according to TODAY Parents. He says the idea for the website came about during a trip to an Apple store last year, when he and his wife bought their baby-to-be a onesie that had the phrase “brand new mini“ written on it.
“When his due date was approaching, I started to think about how to break the news to friends and family once the big day arrived (and) I remembered the ‘brand new mini’ thing,” Kleinke told TODAY.
The adorable site is chock-full of Apple-inspired features like built-in apps titled iEat, iPoop, iSleep, That's it.
The "new mini's" product description is also written in Apple lingo: "The brand new Jonathan (Mid-2014) features a 20-inch seamless unibody enclosure made from a single, solid block of beauty. Ten meticulously aligned fingers deliver the perfect multi-touch experience. Plus, he comes fully equipped with not just one but two iSight cameras, each delivering images in stunning Retina resolution. Dual microphones on both sides catch every sound."
Not mentioned: the new model's seriously cool dad. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/apple-baby-website-new-mini-andreas-kleinke_n_5737670.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
10 Things Groomsmen Would Never Say Aloud
When someone asks you to be a groomsmen in his wedding, the assumption is that the two of you are close -- best buds even. The kind of friends or family that could tell each other anything.
But that's not always the case. Below, 10 groomsmen on Whisper -- a free app where people share their secrets anonymously -- admit the things they'd never be able to say to the groom's face.
For more anonymous groomsmen confessions, head over to Whisper.
Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/groomsmen-confessions-whisper_n_5737668.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
But that's not always the case. Below, 10 groomsmen on Whisper -- a free app where people share their secrets anonymously -- admit the things they'd never be able to say to the groom's face.
For more anonymous groomsmen confessions, head over to Whisper.
Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/groomsmen-confessions-whisper_n_5737668.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Prosecutor Marriya Wright Accused Of Helping Convict Avoid Prison, Sending Bikini Picture
A Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor is accused of helping a repeat felon evade capture, and she may have also sent him a picture of herself in a bikini.
Marriya Wright, 34, has been on paid administrative leave since April while authorities investigate whether she aided 31-year-old Matthew Baumrucker, according to the Spokesman-Review.
Story continues below Baumrucker's mugshot, note the "criminal" tattoo on his forehead:
Newly unsealed court documents claim Wright and Baumrucker sent 1280 texts to a cell phone linked to Wright between Feb. 6 and March 5. He was eventually arrested on a drug warrant, but, according to KXLY, Wright allegedly tried to help him avoid capture:
Authorities also allegedly found a picture of Wright in a bikini on Baumrucker's phone.
Baumrucker has six previous convictions including perjury, assault and money laundering, according to the Spokesman.
KREM reports that Baumrucker once wrote to the station telling them that his relationship with Wright was a "Cinderella story." But now, the relationship has gone sour.
A new letter to the station sent from the Spokane County Jail says Baumrucker is "broken hearted and federally indicted," while Wright is on a paid leave of absence.
He also said their relationship was "above and beyond what anyone could have ever imagined.”
When the story about a possible connection between Baumrucker and Wright first broke in June, the prosecutor's attorney, Chris Bugbee, told KHQ, "I would hope the community would suspend judgment until all the facts come out."
KHQ's previous report is below:
KULR-8 Television, Billings, MT
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/prosecutor-marriya-wright_n_5736714.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Marriya Wright, 34, has been on paid administrative leave since April while authorities investigate whether she aided 31-year-old Matthew Baumrucker, according to the Spokesman-Review.
Story continues below Baumrucker's mugshot, note the "criminal" tattoo on his forehead:
Newly unsealed court documents claim Wright and Baumrucker sent 1280 texts to a cell phone linked to Wright between Feb. 6 and March 5. He was eventually arrested on a drug warrant, but, according to KXLY, Wright allegedly tried to help him avoid capture:
Police found out about the possible relationship while investigating Baumrucker in an assault. On March 3, police were trying to find Baumrucker in connection with those charges. Police say he was at an apartment with a woman who later told police Baumrucker called a woman and said, "Marriya, the police are chasing me, I am in an apartment."
The warrant says Baumrucker told the woman at the apartment that "Marriya told him she didn't have to let the police in to search if they did not have a search warrant."
Authorities also allegedly found a picture of Wright in a bikini on Baumrucker's phone.
Baumrucker has six previous convictions including perjury, assault and money laundering, according to the Spokesman.
KREM reports that Baumrucker once wrote to the station telling them that his relationship with Wright was a "Cinderella story." But now, the relationship has gone sour.
A new letter to the station sent from the Spokane County Jail says Baumrucker is "broken hearted and federally indicted," while Wright is on a paid leave of absence.
He also said their relationship was "above and beyond what anyone could have ever imagined.”
When the story about a possible connection between Baumrucker and Wright first broke in June, the prosecutor's attorney, Chris Bugbee, told KHQ, "I would hope the community would suspend judgment until all the facts come out."
KHQ's previous report is below:
KULR-8 Television, Billings, MT
Like Us On Facebook | Follow Us On Twitter | Contact The AuthorSource: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/prosecutor-marriya-wright_n_5736714.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Chihuahua Enjoys Weird Neck Massage, Lives The Dream
Sometimes, you just have to relax.
The chillin' Chihuahua in this Youtube video knows this best, as he receives a neck rub from a minuscule massager.
His wink says it all -- clearly, he lives the good life.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/chihuahua-neck-massage-dog_n_5737034.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The chillin' Chihuahua in this Youtube video knows this best, as he receives a neck rub from a minuscule massager.
His wink says it all -- clearly, he lives the good life.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/chihuahua-neck-massage-dog_n_5737034.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+NewsMan Who Painted Maserati To Resemble 'Transformers' Robot Accused Of Impersonating Cop
BRAINTREE, Mass. (AP) — The lawyer for a Massachusetts man facing charges of impersonating a police officer for driving around a Maserati painted to resemble a police cruiser calls the case against his client "silly."
Attorney Russell Matson tells The Patriot Ledger (http://bit.ly/1qmSewZ ) his client "never pretended to be a cop," and even told police in advance he was going to decorate his car to look like the character Barricade from a "Transformers" movie. Matson did not disclose his client's name. The luxury Italian vehicle's body was painted black and white with a police-style shield on the doors, and police-related decals. The door shield was accompanied by the phrase "Decepticons punish and enslave," from the movie.
The driver was pulled over on Aug. 9. He was not arrested but summoned to court on Sept. 4.
___
Information from: The (Quincy, Mass.) Patriot Ledger, http://www.patriotledger.com Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/maserati-cop-car_n_5737208.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Attorney Russell Matson tells The Patriot Ledger (http://bit.ly/1qmSewZ ) his client "never pretended to be a cop," and even told police in advance he was going to decorate his car to look like the character Barricade from a "Transformers" movie. Matson did not disclose his client's name. The luxury Italian vehicle's body was painted black and white with a police-style shield on the doors, and police-related decals. The door shield was accompanied by the phrase "Decepticons punish and enslave," from the movie.
The driver was pulled over on Aug. 9. He was not arrested but summoned to court on Sept. 4.
___
Information from: The (Quincy, Mass.) Patriot Ledger, http://www.patriotledger.com Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/maserati-cop-car_n_5737208.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Old People Try Out Oculus Rift, Get Totally Freaked Out
The latest video from the Fine Brothers introduces elder folks to the Oculus Rift virtual reality device. And it's a delight.
The subjects, none of whom have never used the headset, slip on the Oculus Rift and access the virtual reality display. At first, the elders were a bit hesitant about the whole thing.
"My God, I'm not going to electrocute myself, am I?" one man quips.
But then, as they explored the virtual reality landscape, they began to enjoy the view.
"Is George Clooney's house nearby?" one woman asks, enthralled.
Their responses -- even at their most skeptical -- are quite endearing.
Enjoy!
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/elders-react-oculus-rift-thefinebros_n_5732944.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The subjects, none of whom have never used the headset, slip on the Oculus Rift and access the virtual reality display. At first, the elders were a bit hesitant about the whole thing.
"My God, I'm not going to electrocute myself, am I?" one man quips.
But then, as they explored the virtual reality landscape, they began to enjoy the view.
"Is George Clooney's house nearby?" one woman asks, enthralled.
Their responses -- even at their most skeptical -- are quite endearing.
Enjoy!
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/elders-react-oculus-rift-thefinebros_n_5732944.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Manatees May Lose Endangered Status As Government Ponders 'Threatened' Reclassification
MIAMI (AP) — As they do whenever they visit Florida, Greg Groff and his young daughter stopped by the manatee pool at Miami Seaquarium, where the speed bump-shaped marine mammals placidly swim in circles.
They noted the pink scars and disfigured tail on one manatee, damage from a boat propeller that left it unable to survive in the wild.
Florida's manatees need even more stringent protections than their listing on the federal endangered species list, Groff said, adding that boaters should go elsewhere if they don't like speed limits in waters where manatees swim.
"There's plenty of places they can go faster," the Chicago man said. "They can go out in the middle of the ocean if they want to go much, much, much quicker, and you won't have to worry about them running the manatees over."
Groff's comments are representative of the environmentalist and general public side of an ongoing fight with a group of boaters, businesses and conservatives over whether the manatee should retain its 1967 federal listing as an endangered species, the most protective classification.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing whether the manatee should be reclassified as a "threatened" species, which would allow some flexibility for federal officials as the species recovers while maintaining most of the protections afforded to animals listed as endangered.
As part of the lengthy review process, the agency is seeking public comment on its finding that a petition to reclassify the manatee has merits. The deadline is Tuesday. A decision on whether a change is warranted won't be made until the agency completes its review, which could take a year.
Manatees, also known as sea cows, are vegetarian giants that average nearly 10 feet long and 2,200 pounds and live near the shore and in coastal waterways around much of Florida. The animal's biggest threats are boats, cold water, toxic algae blooms and fishing debris like discarded lines and ropes.
"If we come to the end of this and decide reclassification is warranted, it's good news because it means the manatee is recovering and no longer on the brink of extinction," agency spokesman Chuck Underwood said.
Critics of the manatee's current endangered listing say manatees are important to the state's tourism industry and environment, so everyone wants them to thrive, but the species has recovered sufficiently over the last 47 years to be reclassified. Florida's manatee population has grown from several hundred in 1967 to over 4,800 in this year. Under current regulations, boaters must avoid manatee areas or obey tight speed limits and fishermen can't use some equipment.
Save Crystal River Inc. and the conservative Pacific Legal Foundation petitioned the government in 2012 to reclassify the manatee, citing a 2007 federal review that recommended listing the species as threatened since the population is recovering. They say if the federal government followed its own rules, the reclassification should be automatic.
"The truth is the manatee is protected the same as threatened as endangered, but they no longer can use the species to take over sovereign lands and sovereign waters with arbitrary rules," said Steve Lamb, vice president of Save Crystal River, a group that represents about 100 members that include recreational boaters, tour operators, dive shops and hotels. The river, about 80 miles north of Tampa on Florida's Gulf Coast, is warmed by natural springs and is a favorite winter congregating spot for manatees.
According to the wildlife service, officials began working on the reclassification proposal in 2013, but those efforts were suspended amid funding constraints, the U.S. government shutdown and concerns over recent spikes in manatee deaths, particularly during cold snaps. A record 829 manatees died last year, breaking the 2010 record of 766, according to state records.
The most worrisome deaths last year were not collisions with boats. A record 276 manatee deaths were caused by a toxic red tide bloom in the Gulf of Mexico. There were also the unexplained deaths of more than 100 manatees on Florida's east coast, where pollution and algae blooms have plagued a vital lagoon ecosystem.
Save the Manatees Club Executive Director Pat Rose said that while the species has certainly rebounded, the jump in deaths, particularly during cold snaps, means more work is needed before they lose endangered status.
"The most compelling reason not to down-list them is the status of their ecosystems," Rose said. "If you maintain good quality habitat, you can overcome catastrophic mortality events. If you are dealing with both catastrophic mortality events and unrelenting compromises to their aquatic ecosystems at the same time, that's when you need to be acting very conservatively."
But Lamb says the government is bowing to political pressure and emotion, highlighting conservation efforts at the expense of the law and business.
"Does anyone ever want to talk about how last year 1,000 manatees were born? Heck, no. All they want to talk about is how many died," Lamb said.
The vast majority of comments submitted to the wildlife service plead with officials to continue listing the manatee as endangered. Florida residents cite the manatees they've seen with scars from run-ins with boats or fishing debris, while out-of-state commenters describe the thrill of spotting the unique marine mammals in the water.
Some say the manatee should be protected as a symbol, not just as an animal.
"In a world filled with war, deadly viruses, and everyday violence ... the gentle manatee offers a vision of peaceful existence all would like to possess," wrote one commenter.
___
Follow Jennifer Kay on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jnkay .
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/manatees-endangered_n_5734956.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+NewsISS Astronauts Baffled By Strange 'Spikes' Spotted In Siberia
Astronauts looking down on Earth from the International Space Station in June were left scratching their heads when they spotted a “strange pattern of spikes" crossing Siberia's Kulunda Steppe.
The astronauts were so puzzled that they called down to Houston to ask for an explanation, according to NASA. But only recently have scientists at the agency's Johnson Space Center been able to explain what the astronauts were looking at when they saw the dark green spikes stretching over the rural landscape.
The spikes may be a side effect of the region's geology, LiveScience reported. Specifically, the darker areas in the image may be forested valleys created by folded surface rocks that lie lower than the surrounding (and lighter-toned) agricultural land.
The image was captured on June 30, 2014, by the Expedition 40 crew on the International Space Station.
Look here for more images of the Earth taken by astronauts.. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/spikes-siberia-astronauts-nasa_n_5732182.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The astronauts were so puzzled that they called down to Houston to ask for an explanation, according to NASA. But only recently have scientists at the agency's Johnson Space Center been able to explain what the astronauts were looking at when they saw the dark green spikes stretching over the rural landscape.
The spikes may be a side effect of the region's geology, LiveScience reported. Specifically, the darker areas in the image may be forested valleys created by folded surface rocks that lie lower than the surrounding (and lighter-toned) agricultural land.
The image was captured on June 30, 2014, by the Expedition 40 crew on the International Space Station.
Look here for more images of the Earth taken by astronauts.. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/spikes-siberia-astronauts-nasa_n_5732182.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Woman Discovers Her Cat Is Cheating On Her
This cat is a real cad.
It all started in 2000 when Alice Alexander of Wellington, New Zealand bought "Ming," a Siamese cat.
From Stuff.co.nz:
Then in May, 2014, the "no-good, dirty cat," as Gawker refers to him, showed up outside Alexander's home, meowing as if nothing had happened over the last four years.
Through some sleuthing detailed at Stuff, Alexander was able to determine that Ming was leading a double life, with her neighbors, the Smith family.
Now Ming, also known as "Cleo" is the subject of a heated custody battle.
Ming/Cleo sounds like the cat equivalent of Ronald Stan, a Canadian man who, it was revealed this week, had been missing for 37 years after a mysterious barn fire. He was located by Canadian authorities who discovered he was living in Oklahoma.
Stan, according to his relatives, left a family in Canada and then started a new one in Oklahoma. Neither family knew about the other and the American family had no idea about Stan's Canadian past.
In short, nothing is how it seems and you should trust no one. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/woman-discovers-her-cat-is-cheating-on-her_n_5735900.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
It all started in 2000 when Alice Alexander of Wellington, New Zealand bought "Ming," a Siamese cat.
From Stuff.co.nz:
When the family moved to Strathmore in 2005, Ming would go wandering, often returning home not hungry and without his collar, which had his name and the Alexanders' phone number.
The wandering became more frequent, then in 2010 Ming disappeared.
Then in May, 2014, the "no-good, dirty cat," as Gawker refers to him, showed up outside Alexander's home, meowing as if nothing had happened over the last four years.
Through some sleuthing detailed at Stuff, Alexander was able to determine that Ming was leading a double life, with her neighbors, the Smith family.
Now Ming, also known as "Cleo" is the subject of a heated custody battle.
Ming/Cleo sounds like the cat equivalent of Ronald Stan, a Canadian man who, it was revealed this week, had been missing for 37 years after a mysterious barn fire. He was located by Canadian authorities who discovered he was living in Oklahoma.
Stan, according to his relatives, left a family in Canada and then started a new one in Oklahoma. Neither family knew about the other and the American family had no idea about Stan's Canadian past.
In short, nothing is how it seems and you should trust no one. Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/woman-discovers-her-cat-is-cheating-on-her_n_5735900.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
Photographer Jeremy Harris Journeys To The Center Of America's Abandoned Asylums
Photographer Jeremy Harris was in Buffalo, New York when he discovered his first abandoned asylum. It was in 2006, when he was visiting the "uncle of a girlfriend at the time," and noticed a beautiful, old Gothic building on a local university campus.
The property was ominously surrounded by a chain link fence, which only piqued Harris' curiosity. He researched the building and soon discovered it was the former Buffalo State Lunatic Asylum (later the Richardson Olmstead Complex), and had been abandoned since the 1980s.
"Needless to say, I was intrigued," he explained to HuffPost. He made his back to the campus to dig deeper. "With a little effort, I managed to locate an open window. Once inside, I was hooked. It was absolutely amazing."
Thus began a years-long love affair with similarly obsolete psychiatric institutions. The photographer, long obsessed with abandoned landscapes from farm houses to factories, began making exploratory trips to various parts of the United States, making specific connections in Massachusetts and New Jersey. Captivated by the fading beauty and natural decay, he began documenting the artifacts and forgotten evidence of the people who once populated -- and often times died within -- the so-called asylums.
The resulting series, "American Asylums," gives an unrestrained glimpse into medical facilities so stigmatized they've been left in utter disrepair, yet not demolished. As though the public can't stand to remember what once went on inside them, nor can it face destroying the legacy of the past individuals subjected to such a system. Harris' photos project a new image of these locales -- some of them dating their origins back to the 19th century -- drenched in light and bursting forth with wild vegetation.
The series' subhead reads: Moral Architecture of the 19th Century
"All my images are meant to be a tribute to the locations and it’s inhabitants," Harris remarked.
While photos of abandoned spaces have at times been criticized for their seemingly voyeuristic take on dying architecture, Harris' intimate lines and careful perspectives suggest a sense of homage. When asked how he feels about the term "ruin porn" and its growing popularity online, he replied:
"For me it’s always been a double-edged sword. I love that people are out there enjoying and documenting abandoned spaces that will eventually be gone, but the more people that visit a space, the more destruction is inevitably wrought on the place. It’s rare these days to find a location that hasn’t been trampled on by hundreds of people and photographed to death. I’m still searching for them though."
Check out a preview of Harris' series below. Head to his website to view more of his work.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/29/american-asylums-_n_5732946.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
The property was ominously surrounded by a chain link fence, which only piqued Harris' curiosity. He researched the building and soon discovered it was the former Buffalo State Lunatic Asylum (later the Richardson Olmstead Complex), and had been abandoned since the 1980s.
"Needless to say, I was intrigued," he explained to HuffPost. He made his back to the campus to dig deeper. "With a little effort, I managed to locate an open window. Once inside, I was hooked. It was absolutely amazing."
Thus began a years-long love affair with similarly obsolete psychiatric institutions. The photographer, long obsessed with abandoned landscapes from farm houses to factories, began making exploratory trips to various parts of the United States, making specific connections in Massachusetts and New Jersey. Captivated by the fading beauty and natural decay, he began documenting the artifacts and forgotten evidence of the people who once populated -- and often times died within -- the so-called asylums.
The resulting series, "American Asylums," gives an unrestrained glimpse into medical facilities so stigmatized they've been left in utter disrepair, yet not demolished. As though the public can't stand to remember what once went on inside them, nor can it face destroying the legacy of the past individuals subjected to such a system. Harris' photos project a new image of these locales -- some of them dating their origins back to the 19th century -- drenched in light and bursting forth with wild vegetation.
"All my images are meant to be a tribute to the locations and it’s inhabitants," Harris remarked.
While photos of abandoned spaces have at times been criticized for their seemingly voyeuristic take on dying architecture, Harris' intimate lines and careful perspectives suggest a sense of homage. When asked how he feels about the term "ruin porn" and its growing popularity online, he replied:
"For me it’s always been a double-edged sword. I love that people are out there enjoying and documenting abandoned spaces that will eventually be gone, but the more people that visit a space, the more destruction is inevitably wrought on the place. It’s rare these days to find a location that hasn’t been trampled on by hundreds of people and photographed to death. I’m still searching for them though."
Check out a preview of Harris' series below. Head to his website to view more of his work.
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