Saturday, January 09, 2010
Facebook Oddities
Today I noticed on a Facebook sidebar that one of my friends was 45% active. I thought that was pretty good, considering that he's 100% dead and has been for a good while now. I hope I can remain that active that long after I step on a rainbow.
The Kids Will Go Nuts for This!
Stun gun maker Taser creates phone monitoring tool for parents | News.com.au: "STUN gun maker Taser wants to help parents, not with jolts of electricity but with a tool which allows them to effectively take over a child's phone and manage its use.
The phone application, called 'Mobile Protector,' allows a parent to screen a child's incoming and outgoing calls and messages, block particular numbers and even listen in on a conversation.
Text messages, emails, photos and videos can also be screened for inappropriate language or pornographic content."
The phone application, called 'Mobile Protector,' allows a parent to screen a child's incoming and outgoing calls and messages, block particular numbers and even listen in on a conversation.
Text messages, emails, photos and videos can also be screened for inappropriate language or pornographic content."
And You Thought Your Neighborhood was Tough
CRIME Blog | The Dallas Morning News: "The body of 36-year-old Hugo Hernandez was left on the streets of Los Mochis in seven pieces as a chilling threat to members of the Juarez drug cartel. A note read: ''Happy New Year, because this will be your last.''
To drive home the point, the assailants skinned Hernandez's face and stitched it onto a soccer ball.
The gruesome find, confirmed Friday by Sinaloa state prosecutors, represents a new level of brutality in Mexico's drug war, in which torture and beheadings are almost daily occurrences."
To drive home the point, the assailants skinned Hernandez's face and stitched it onto a soccer ball.
The gruesome find, confirmed Friday by Sinaloa state prosecutors, represents a new level of brutality in Mexico's drug war, in which torture and beheadings are almost daily occurrences."
Hurricane Ike Update
The Galveston County Daily News: "Sixteen months after Hurricane Ike struck Galveston, the storm is continuing to wreak havoc on the island’s streets.
Galveston’s streets, notorious for potholes before the hurricane, are continuing to crack, sink and crumble in what the city said are latent effects of the hurricane. But the Federal Emergency Management Agency will not pay to repair streets just now showing damage, Eric Wilson, director of municipal utilities, said.
The street damage is a result of the hurricane’s storm surge and the abnormally heavy rainfall in Galveston in 2009, Angelo Grasso, director of public works, said."
Galveston’s streets, notorious for potholes before the hurricane, are continuing to crack, sink and crumble in what the city said are latent effects of the hurricane. But the Federal Emergency Management Agency will not pay to repair streets just now showing damage, Eric Wilson, director of municipal utilities, said.
The street damage is a result of the hurricane’s storm surge and the abnormally heavy rainfall in Galveston in 2009, Angelo Grasso, director of public works, said."
Grits Rage
Woman attacked her sleeping boyfriend with boiling grits: "They say that revenge is best served cold, but apparently Louisiana based Carolyn Brown hadn’t heard about it, because in a fit of anger she attacked her sleeping boyfriend with a bowl of boiling grits. And her boyfriend is now suffering from second-degree burns due to this act.
Carolyn’s boyfriend came home from work on November 7th, and then he got into a heated argument with her. In a rage, he said to her that he wanted to break up with her. After that he went to bed. Carolyn was understandably very angry and in a fit of anger she dumped a huge bowl of boiling grits on him."
Hat tip to Charlaine Harris.
Carolyn’s boyfriend came home from work on November 7th, and then he got into a heated argument with her. In a rage, he said to her that he wanted to break up with her. After that he went to bed. Carolyn was understandably very angry and in a fit of anger she dumped a huge bowl of boiling grits on him."
Hat tip to Charlaine Harris.
Self-Rolling Snow Balls
Snow stories: rare self-rolling snow balls found in UK - Telegraph
Great photo at the link.
Hat tip to Art Scott.
Great photo at the link.
Hat tip to Art Scott.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Dad Delivers Baby In Parking Lot - Houston News Story - KPRC Houston: "A Texas man made it as far as the parking lot of a Houston-area hospital before helping his in-labor wife deliver their daughter.
Timmy Day of Needville says he 'didn't do anything special but catch.'"
Timmy Day of Needville says he 'didn't do anything special but catch.'"
Here's the Plot for your Next Art-Related Mystery Novel
Chicago man admits he sold bogus Picassos on eBay: "A suburban Chicago man pleaded guilty Tuesday to swindling at least 250 people out of more than $1 million through the sale of counterfeit prints advertised as the work of Pablo Picasso and other major contemporary artists.
Michael Zabrin of Northbrook admitted sometimes paying between $1,000 and $1,500 for counterfeit limited edition fine art prints produced in Spain and Italy and reselling them on eBay for many times that amount."
Link via News from Me.
Michael Zabrin of Northbrook admitted sometimes paying between $1,000 and $1,500 for counterfeit limited edition fine art prints produced in Spain and Italy and reselling them on eBay for many times that amount."
Link via News from Me.
Art Clokey, R. I. P.
'Gumby' creator and Los Osos resident Art Clokey dies - Breaking News - SanLuisObispo.com: "Art Clokey, whose iconic Gumby entertained generations of children, died Friday morning.Gumby – the slender, green clay character partly modeled after Clokey’s father – was a fixture on television through the decades, starting with an appearance on the “Howdy Doody” show in 1956. Through the years, the stop motion star made several comebacks, including a new show in the 80s, after a “Saturday Night Live” skit with actor Eddie Murphy made the character popular again. Throughout Gumby’s long run, Gumby toys – most notably, the bendable – have been a staple of toy stores everywhere.
Clokey, who lived in Los Osos, was 89."
Friday, January 08, 2010
Stun Gun Update
Fla. woman shocked after Christmas greeting: "A 29-year-old Zephyrhills woman has been arrested after allegedly using a stun gun on a woman who tried to hug her on Christmas night."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Casablanca, Starring Jack Benny
Failing Better: "In recent entries of Roger Ebert's Answer Man column—on December 9 and December 23—he tackled the rumor that Jack Benny had an uncredited cameo in Casablanca. While addressing various claims, such as the fact that one Benny fan-site stated that the Casablanca press kit verifies the fact, Ebert responded, 'I think you're right.'
I'd never heard this before, and didn't dig out my old VHS tape to check, but based on a few minutes searching online, I found a newspaper ad placed by a Florida theater that confirms this appearance—because it gave away a free pass to any theater patron who could spot Benny."
Link via News from Me.
Update: The guy in the screen grabs now posted at News from Me don't look much like Benny. Maybe this is another urban legend, though a good one.
I'd never heard this before, and didn't dig out my old VHS tape to check, but based on a few minutes searching online, I found a newspaper ad placed by a Florida theater that confirms this appearance—because it gave away a free pass to any theater patron who could spot Benny."
Link via News from Me.
Update: The guy in the screen grabs now posted at News from Me don't look much like Benny. Maybe this is another urban legend, though a good one.
Tylenol Killer Update
Suspected 1982 Tylenol Killer James Lewis Turns Over DNA - ABC News: "James Lewis, the one and only suspect in the 1982 Tylenol killings, has been forced by a judge to surrender DNA samples to investigators, ABC News has learned.
No one has ever been charged in the Tylenol poisonings that left seven people dead and an entire nation paralyzed by fear."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
No one has ever been charged in the Tylenol poisonings that left seven people dead and an entire nation paralyzed by fear."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Celeb Shrink Update
Alleged white supremacist killer attacks celeb shrink in jail - BostonHerald.com: "Accused white supremacist killer Keith Luke yesterday attacked celebrity shrink Dr. Keith Ablow during a court-ordered sit-down at the Plymouth House of Correction, according to authorities."
Great photo at the link.
Great photo at the link.
What the World Needs Now
CES 2010: Ford unveils Tweeting car - Telegraph: "Alan Mulally, Ford’s chief executive, said the company will produce a range of vehicles which can read motorist's twitter messages to them as they drive down the street.
Drivers may even be able to Tweet replies as the cars will feature voice recognition technology. But composing Tweets will not be possible on the first models, due out in the US later this year, because of safety fears."
Drivers may even be able to Tweet replies as the cars will feature voice recognition technology. But composing Tweets will not be possible on the first models, due out in the US later this year, because of safety fears."
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