Woman Orders a Dishwasher, Gets a Complimentary Snake -

Woman Orders a Dishwasher, Gets a Complimentary Snake - 


Don’t you hate it when you find a legless reptile taped to your brand new dishwasher? Jessica Hasson of Los Angeles sure does, because that’s exactly what happened when Sears delivered her Kenmore Elite last month.

While the delivery crew—and presumably everyone else—failed to notice the sizable garter snake bound to the packaging material, Hasson and her boyfriend were able to observe the striking visual differences between a drain hose and a three-foot serpent.

Hasson promptly called animal control—a sensible move, no doubt—but because of some really inconsiderate bureaucratic minutia (or just laziness), officials weren’t able to do anything, since the snake was “already contained.”

So then she called the fine folks at Sears, who were apologetic but similarly unhelpful: “They’re confused about how to get me a replacement delivered and installed,” she told Business Insider.

The machine was eventually taken away—no word on what happened to the snake—and Hasson is expecting a replacement model some time next week. But that doesn’t detract from the ordeal she’s already been through:

“After waiting over 2 weeks for my delivery, I end up with a snake," she told the source.

Read more - 
http://www.dishwashersinfo.com/Features/Woman-Orders-a-Dishwasher-Gets-a-Complimentary-Snake.htm?utm_source=outbrain_recirc&obref=obnetwork

NASA unveils last video by spacecraft that crashed into moon -

NASA unveils last video by spacecraft that crashed into moon - 




A NASA probe recorded a spectacular flyover video of the moon's far side shortly before intentionally slamming into a lunar mountain last month.
NASA's Ebb spacecraft shot the stunning final moon video on Dec. 14, just three days before it and its twin Flow ended their gravity-mapping mission, known as Grail, with a dramatic crash near the moon's north pole.
Ebb was just 6 miles above the lunar surface when it captured the images using its MoonKAM (Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students) camera. The probe was skimming over the far side's northern hemisphere at the time, near an impact crater named Jackson.
Grail scientists pieced together about 2,400 individual frames to make the nearly two-minute video, NASA officials said.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/01/15/nasa-unveils-last-moon-video-by-doomed-spacecraft/

Man Shocked By Snake In Luggage.. And Now It's Lost In His House -

Man Shocked By Snake In Luggage.. And Now It's Lost In His House - 




A Calgary man who recently returned from a trip to India has brought back a slithery souvenir he was not counting on.

Firefighters were called to the man's southwest-area home after he discovered a half-metre long snake crawling on his carpet.

Emergency officials say he had been unpacking his luggage over the last two days, but did not discover the brown-coloured serpent until he got home from work late Thursday.

The man had no idea whether he was dealing with a venomous or non-venomous reptile and immediately called 911.

Both firefighters and an animal control company that was called in to help searched the residence for four hours, but couldn't locate the snake.

The company will continue to search the home and has set traps for the reptile.

Read more -
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/01/11/snake-luggage-india-trip_n_2456248.html

U.S. Homeland Security is advising people to temporarily disable the Java software to avoid potential hacking attacks -

U.S. Homeland Security is advising people to temporarily disable the Java software to avoid potential hacking attacks - 



The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is advising people to temporarily disable the Java software on their computers to avoid potential hacking attacks.
The recommendation came in an advisory issued late Thursday, following up on concerns raised by computer security experts.
Experts believe hackers have found a flaw in Java's coding that creates an opening for criminal activity and other high-tech mischief.
Java is a widely used technical language that allows computer programmers to write a wide variety of Internet applications and other software programs that can run on just about any computer's operating system.
Oracle Corp. bought Java as part of a $7.3 billion acquisition of the software's creator, Sun Microsystems, in 2010.
Oracle, which is based in Redwood Shores, Calif., had no immediate comment late Friday.

Read more - 
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-government-tells-computer-users-010200788.html

Nationwide ammo shortage so severe that even cops can’t buy bullets -

Nationwide ammo shortage so severe that even cops can’t buy bullets - 



One of the great myths of modern society is that the police are heavily armed and have both ammo and personnel in huge numbers. In reality, it’s quite the opposite: police and sheriffs are dangerously under-staffed all across the country in nearly every city and town. Furthermore, severe budget cuts have left law enforcement with dwindling ammunition supplies. In some departments, it’s so bad that nearly the only ammo available is what officers are carrying on their duty belts.
And now it has just gotten far worse.
Thanks to outrageous Sandy Hook fear mongering by the mainstream media and political operatives like Feinstein, Obama, Cuomo and others, the American people have been rushing out to buy up every bullet, every rifle, every handgun and very nearly every gun-related product in the country. This is all because people like Biden, Obama and Feinstein are openly declaring war on the Second Amendment and threatening to outlaw or restrict firearms, magazines and ammunition.
“Channel 2 Action News has learned local police departments cannot get their hands on the ammunition they need,” reports WSBTV in Atlanta.
WSBTV continues:
“There’s been more demand for ammunition than there’s ever been,” reports Jay Wallace, owner of Smyrna Police Distributors in Cobb County. Wallace is now worried some departments could have to wait up to a year for factories to ship certain kinds of rounds in bulk. Leaders with most [police] departments … said they’re prepared to handle short shortages, but not long-term. “We’re going be starting to get very concerned at the six-month level if that’s all we have in stock, because then we have to start planning and rationing.
Rationing? Yep. It’s here already, and the global debt collapse hasn’t even begun yet!

Ammunition inventory status
The mass rush by citizens to purchase ammunition ahead of an Obama / Biden unconstitutional (and unlawful) executive order banning such sales has resulted in the near-depletion of available ammunition as follows:
• Rifle rounds are completely gone everywhere.
• Shotgun shells are somewhat more available but still limited.
• Handgun rounds are limited and becoming difficult to find.
• 22LR rounds are completely gone. Lesser-known varmint rounds such as .17 HMR are still available.
The backlog of ammunition demand now exceeds one year. The backlog demand for rifle magazines now exceeds one million units. The demand for rifles themselves has reached record levels, with a one-year backlog on production just to meet present-day demand.
Here are some of the messages you’ll see across the internet right now at online retailers’ websites:

Cheaper Than Dirt:
Consumer reaction to the political rhetoric after the shooting in CT caused a rush of online orders at Cheaper Than Dirt! which led to the largest backlog in the company’s history. Ammunition and shooting accessories orders more than tripled, resulting in week-long shipping delays. The past three weeks have been spent catching up on the tremendous backlog of orders, training additional staff and increasing inventory back to acceptable levels. …firearms that are in high demand are not currently available from manufacturers due to the lack of inventory. This includes most modern sporting rifles.

Ammo To Go
EXPECT DELAYS: Due to high order volume, we are experiencing a shipping delay of 22-24 business days…

Midway USA
ALL AR-15 magazines currently showing “out of stock, NO backorder.”

Brownells
Due to extreme order volumes, shipments may be delayed. We will continue to make every effort to get orders out the door as quickly as possible.

Why this matters: Social unrest
Here’s why all this matters. In a time of social unrest, cops are your best friends. Without cops on the streets, every major U.S. city would devolve into a gang-infested crap-hole within 72 hours or less. Cops are the men and women in blue who prevent the more malicious members of the human race from expressing the kind of evil sons of bitches they really are deep inside.
If you think humanity is “inherently GOOD,” you’ve never been a cop! Ask any cop and they’ll tell you the far less fashionable truth: People are inherently EVIL, selfish, deceptive and dangerous. That’s why we need cops in the first place, isn’t it? To keep some criminal-minded dirtbag from breaking into your home, stealing your jewelry and raping your dog. (Or whatever it is they do.)
Cops get a bad rap in peace time, of course, but in a collapse scenario — or something worse — you’ll be begging for 911 to function so you can dial a phone and have (relatively) friendly men with guns arrive at your doorstep.
Society needs cops to prevent criminals from running rampant across neighborhoods and pillaging to their heart’s delight. Or, better yet, society needs every household to own a rifle, a shotgun and a handgun for their own defense, but unfortunately that’s not yet the case in America. (Although it nearly is in Switzerland.)
So what happens when cops run out of bullets?
It’s not good. Not unless you’re a gang member just waiting to commit mayhem all over town.
If gang bangers ever figure out that the cops are out of bullets, it will be all-out war in many U.S. cities, including Miami, LA, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and NYC. A disarmed police force is no police force at all, since it’s only really the threat of high-velocity lead that actually stops bad people from doing bad things. (Criminals don’t care if you ask nice. They are only motivated by their own survival.)
It also means that the feds will have a strong ammunition advantage over local cops and sheriffs, since the U.S. federal government has been stockpiling 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition domestically, right here in the United States.

Read more - 
http://www.naturalnews.com/038632_ammo_shortage_police.html

IBM's Watson Loves to Swear -

IBM's Watson Loves to Swear - 



Robots may be more advanced than humans in many ways. They can be faster, more efficient, more mathematical and logical than we are. But their understanding of socially appropriate language is less than elementary.

Which is why Watson -- the IBM robot that beat chess champion Garry Kasparov at his own game -- had to have his memory wiped after he memorized the entire contents of human slang repository UrbanDictionary.com.
Urban Dictionary, for those not in the know, is the place you go to if you want to know what a "touron" is (a tourist that is also a moron), or the meaning of "broscience," ("the predominant brand of reasoning in body-building circles where the anecdotal reports of jacked dudes are considered more credible than scientific research").
Watson's overlords thought the informal colloquial language would be a great way for him to understand the real way that people communicate, Fortune reported.
But much like human language, the site also contains some filthy, filthy words, insults and gross descriptions.
And poor old Watson was unable to distinguish between socially appropriate language, and the kind of things he ought to keep to himself.
The robot began to deploy the word "bullsh*t" in an answer to a researcher's query.
How rude.
Ultimately the experiment failed and the researchers had to wipe the Urban Dictionary from Watson's memory.
There will be no inappropriate outbursts of "OMGs" or "WTFs" from, Watson who is currently being used as a diagnostic tool for hospitals.


Read more: - 
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/01/11/smart-or-smart-ass-ibms-watson-computer-learns-to-swear/?intcmp=features

FACEBOOK starts charging $100 for private messages... -

FACEBOOK starts charging $100 for private messages... - 



A little digging by Mashable has turned up a strange new initiative from Facebook. While you can already send a message for free to a friend — or a friend of a friend — the ubiquitous social network is now giving you the option to pay a hefty $100 to send a message directly to a total stranger's inbox. Without ponying up the cash, your message goes to the dreaded "other folder," a.k.a. "Facebook's dumping ground for all messages it guesses you won't want to read urgently," where it will likely be completely overlooked. (By the way, have you checked your "other" folder recently? Do so with caution.)

In December, Facebook announced it would be testing this pay-to-message feature, but for a much lower fee of just $1. Even that was met with mixed reviews. But bloggers discovered the new fee when testing a message to the founder himself, Mark Zuckerberg. And the fee prompt can be replicated with other popular accounts. The fee seems to jump from $1 to $100 when the person you're messaging has a whole bunch of followers, or is a well-known public figure. 

In a statement, a Facebook spokesperson says, "We are testing some extreme price points to see what works to filter spam." In other words, the fee is an attempt to discourage people from sending annoying messages to people they don't know. "But, it could also be seen as Facebook letting people pay to spam your inbox," notes Josh Wolford at Web Pro News.

It will be interesting to see how long these fees stay in place, and who, if anyone, actually pays them.

Read more - 
http://theweek.com/article/index/238684/why-is-facebook-charging-100-for-messages

Police trick entire high school into signing 'anti-violence pledge' to gather handwriting samples... -

Police trick entire high school into signing 'anti-violence pledge' to gather handwriting samples... - 



Police are hoping that a statement signed by Northampton High School students to take threats seriously will give them a new lead in their investigation into a Dec. 19 incident that emptied the school shortly after the Newtown shootings.

A threatening note was found in one of the high school bathrooms that day, five days after a gunman killed 20 students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Police and school officials evacuated the building shortly before the normal high school dismissal time.

On Dec. 21, students at the high school were asked to write a statement in reference to the threat acknowledging that they take such matter seriously and share the concern of police and school administrators about safety. The statement has been described as a joint effort by police, the high school administration and the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office.

Police say they will use the statements to aid in their investigation of the threat, perhaps matching the handwriting with that of one of the students. Police Chief Russell P. Sienkiewicz said District Attorney David E. Sullivan has confirmed that the method is valid and legal.

Sienkiewicz has said that police take such threats seriously and noted the crime is punishable under state law by a minimum of three years in jail. He added Wednesday that it is also part of his department’s community care mission to identify and help troubled individuals.

“We disagree that it violates student rights,” he said.

Sullivan released a statement saying that the bottom line is ensuring the safety of students.

“We take any threats against children seriously and investigate all such threats,” he said. “The alleged threat at Northampton High School was of a serious nature.”

Read more - 
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/01/northampton_police_may_use_stu.html

Would You Buy An iPotty To Toilet Train Your Toddler? -

Would You Buy An iPotty To Toilet Train Your Toddler? - 



In many ways, the iPotty -- one of the many wacky products to come out of CES 2013 -- was bound to happen. Toddlers are tech-savvy. Moms and dads turn to apps for help with toilet training. And yes, a fair number of adults use gadgets in the bathroom.

And yet...

More than a few parents are questioning if it's necessary to set your child up with a potty that is also an iPad stand. Couldn't a board book suffice in this instance? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids avoid screen time before the age of 2 -- and limit their screen exposure to just a couple of hours per day after that. Trust us, we understand that sometimes you need to turn on "Dora" or play "Peekaboo Barn" -- and it's not terrible to do so. But in a world where we adults struggle to unplug and recharge (and to teach our older children to do the same) does giving them extra access to screens possibly send the wrong message?

On the other hand, if they are going to play with technology while in the restroom, at least the iPotty keeps devices safe from, um, accidents.

Read more - 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/10/ipotty-how-to-potty-train_n_2442653.html

Snake ON a plane: Reptile survives flight by clinging to wing of aircraft as it flies 500 miles at 30,000ft -

Snake ON a plane: Reptile survives flight by clinging to wing of aircraft as it flies 500 miles at 30,000ft - 



Passengers on a Qantas jet flying over Australia got a shock when they spotted a 12ft python clinging on to a wing at 30,000ft.
The plane was around 20 minutes into its flight from Cairns in northern Australia to Papua New Guinea when a female passenger first announced she could see the reptile.
Those on board could only watch as the snake - thought to be a Scrub Python - spent the flight battling to survive in freezing conditions.


Unlike in the Hollywood movie, Snakes on a Plane, which featured a nest of vipers causing havoc when they escaped inside a jet - this reptile was more concerned about keeping itself alive
The snake fought to find some shelter from the 300mph wind as temperatures dropped to as low as  -12C°.

Passenger Robert Weber told the Sydney Morning Herald that people at the rear of the plane were totally focused on the snake and were asking how it could have got there. 
'There was no panic,' he said, 'at no time did anyone stop to consider there might be others on board.'
Mr Weber said that at first the snake must have been tucked itself away in a small space near the wing but that the wind must pulled him 'straight out,' he told the newspaper. What followed, said Mr Weber, was a life and death struggle for the snake.


'I felt quite sad for it really,' he said, 'for the remainder of the trip he was trying to pull himself back into the plane.'
Despite the cold and wind, he said, the snake still managed to hang on, but each time it managed to pull itself back into a cavity, the wind forced it out again.  

At one point the pilot came out into the main cabin and took a look a the wing snake - which he said 'should be dead,' given the battering it had taken.
But, amazingly, when the plane touched down in Port Moresby the snake was still moving. It was not immediately known what happened to the reptile but passengers suspected it would have been destroyed by Papua New Guinea quarantine officials.  
Australian snake experts said it was a non - toxic scrub python, the longest snake species in Australia, which are common in North Queensland.



Read more: 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2260142/Snake-ON-plane-Reptile-survives-flight-clinging-wing-aircraft-flies-500-miles-30-000ft.html