Odd / funny / interesting news stories

[cryptique]

article

 

Student punished for spaghetti beliefs

 

Thursday, March 29, 2007

 

A student has been suspended from school in America for coming to class dressed as a pirate.

 

But the disciplinary action has provoked controversy

[Analogman]

news.com.au

 

THE older generations are moving in on the hi-tech, online world and the under-30s are not impressed. Scott Seigal was awakened one morning by a mobile phone text message. It was from his girlfriend's mother. His friends' parents have posted greetings on his MySpace page for all the world to see.

 

And his 72-year-old grandmother sends him online instant messages every day so they can better stay in touch while he is at university. "It's nice that adults know some things,'' says Seigal, 18. He especially likes instant messaging with his grandmother because he is "not a huge talker on the phone".

 

Increasingly, however, he and other young people are feeling uncomfortable about their elders encroaching on what many young adults and teenagers consider their technological space. Long gone are the days when the average middle-aged adult did well to simply work a computer.

 

Now adults have Gmail, upload videos on YouTube, and show off the latest hi-tech gadgets. Young people have responded, as they always have, by searching out the latest way to stay ahead in the race for technological know-how and cool. They use Twitter, which allows blogging from one's mobile phone or BlackBerry, or Hulu.com, a site where they can download videos and TV programs. They customise their mobile phones with various faceplates and ringtones.

 

And sometimes, they find ways to exclude adults

[MattZ]

http://www.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=716522

 

Illegal Aliens Rear End Homeland Security Vehicle

January 29th, 2008 @ 4:22pm

by Jayme West/KTAR Newsroom; Photo by Doug Murphy/Ahwatukee Foothills News

 

Normally, a non-injury rear-end collision wouldn't warrant a news story. But in an ironic twist, this crash involved a van full of illegal immigrants which slammed into an SUV owned by the Department of Homeland Security.

 

The Arizona Department of Public Safety said the Chrysler van was heading west Tuesday morning when it was involved in a three-vehicle chain-reaction crash near the Elliot Road off-ramp. Harold Sanders with DPS said, "the 11 illegal immigrants inside the van were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement."

 

There were no reports of any injuries, despite the fact that the van was overloaded.

 

The passengers inside could have been moving targets for other vehicular danger. "The van was not designed to hold 11 people," Sanders said. "That's based on the amount of seat positions. I believe there were only two or three passenger seats."

[Mrs. Peel]

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Pop star Britney Spears was resting at UCLA Medical Center on Thursday, her mother said, hours after police escorted her to the hospital from her Hollywood home.

 

A long convoy of police and a Los Angeles Fire Department ambulance transported the 26-year-old singer to the hospital after midnight, acting on what the Los Angeles Times reported was a "mental evaluation hold."

 

It was the second hospitalization for Spears this month. The police operation was planned far in advance and, according to the L.A. Times, followed a phone call to police from Spears' psychiatrist.

 

Asked if her daughter was resting, mother Lynne Spears said "Yes" to a throng of reporters as she departed the medical center. Video Watch scene at Spears' home

[Analogman]

WALTON COUNTY, Ga. -- A woman with a long list of aliases and husbands remains in the Walton County Jail.

 

Officials arrested Shauna Keith last week. They said the 27-year-old woman married five men, all members of the military.

 

She is also accused of having five social security numbers.

 

According to authorities, Keith married a man in the army in Kentucky in 2006. She then allegedly married a marine on the front porch of a home outside Walnut Grove on Christmas Eve 2007. Officials also said Keith told the marine

[Dreamin']

Medical marijuana vending machines take root in LA

 

My favourite quote from the article:

A man who said he has been authorized to use medical marijuana as part of his anger management therapy said the vending machine's security measures would at least protect against illicit use of the drug.

 

"You have kids that want to get high and that's not what marijuana is for' date='" Robert Miko said. "It's to medicate."[/quote']

[Drazil]

Custody Battle Ensues Over Leg Found in Barbecue Smoker

 

 

Story Here

 

 

 

I live about 20 miles from this melodrama...

[Analogman]

Bart Simpson Actress Gives $10 Million to Scientology

Posted Wed. Jan. 30, 2008 10:46am by Philip Recchia

 

Longtime Scientologist Nancy Cartwright

[bjorn_skurj]

Man attacks Sears’ employee for getting telemarketing calls

 

STONY POINT – A Stony Point man, fed up with receiving telemarketing calls from Sears home improvement employees, scheduled an appointment to advise them to place him on the “do not call” list.

 

Stony Point Police said when the Sears’ worker arrived at Daniel Adler’s residence at 30 Smith Street, October 7, Adler, 61, cut up the man’s ID card and punched him in the face.

 

Adler was arrested and charged with criminal mischief in the fourth degree and assault in the third degree, both misdemeanors. He was issued an appearance ticket for next month in town court.

[Sir Stewart]

"Man Unearths Nearly Two Year-Old Thread On Message Board To Post Odd / Funny / Interesting News Story"

[gogo]

On Facebook, Don't Get Too Pokey

Paul Suarez, PC World

 

(10-10) 23:46 PDT -- The Facebook poke is possibly one of the most pointless, annoying features of any social network to date. And apparently, it can land you in jail for nearly 12 months with a possible fine of $2,500.

 

Shannon Jackson, 36, of Tennessee learned that the hard way when she was arrested on September 25.

 

Jackson allegedly broke an order of protection against another woman when she decided to poke her on Facebook.

 

The order of protection stated that she wasn't to make any form of contact -- pokes included.

 

The Tennessean reports that she was sent to county jail with a bond of $1500 and is scheduled to appear in court on October 28.

 

The real crime is that Jackson failed to read Christopher Null's Facebook Etiquette guide, which clearly states: "No pokes. If you are over the age of 16, don't 'poke' people -- seriously."

 

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/173444

[bjorn_skurj]

Not to shill for my own paper, but this is the lead for our front-page story this week:

 

Like politics, rampaging naked lunatics make strange bedfellows.

[Albert Tatlock]

Shame it's over. Largely nutters on parade. Good stuff.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8306044.stm

[Sir Stewart]

You mean like here?

Man attacks Sears’ employee for getting telemarketing calls

 

STONY POINT – A Stony Point man, fed up with receiving telemarketing calls from Sears home improvement employees, scheduled an appointment to advise them to place him on the “do not call” list.

 

Stony Point Police said when the Sears’ worker arrived at Daniel Adler’s residence at 30 Smith Street, October 7, Adler, 61, cut up the man’s ID card and punched him in the face.

 

Adler was arrested and charged with criminal mischief in the fourth degree and assault in the third degree, both misdemeanors. He was issued an appearance ticket for next month in town court.

[Analogman]

Charlie: Mister. I am the Pope, this might be your church, right now I'm the Pope of Greenwich Village 'cause I got the tape alright?

 

Bedbug Eddie: I like you have balls. I don't get too mad at that.

[The High Heat]

Journalism student drug by train after getting his pants caught by the train during a mooning incident.

[HungryHippo]

Ralph Lauren Addresses Scandalously Photoshopped Ad

 

 

wtf?

[The High Heat]

Million dollar cars can't swim.

 

 

 

 

and a Russian delicacy:

Shish-ka-Bob!

[cryptique]

link

 

Kellogg warns: Brace for an Eggo shortage

 

Issues at two facilities means freezers could be bare until next summer

 

updated 4:24 p.m. ET, Wed., Nov . 18, 2009

 

ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

ATLANTA - Dear Kellogg: Leggo my Eggo!

 

Kellogg Co. says there will be a nationwide shortage of its popular Eggo frozen waffles until next summer because of interruptions in production at two of the four plants that make them.

 

The company's Atlanta plant was shut down for an undisclosed period by a September storm that dumped historic amounts of rain in the area. Meanwhile, several production lines at its largest bakery in Rossville, Tenn. are closed indefinitely for repairs, company spokeswoman Kris Charles said in an e-mail.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

 

It will take until the middle of 2010 before shelves around the country are stocked at pre-shutdown levels, Charles said.

 

Already customers are noticing near-empty Eggo shelves on the freezer aisle at many grocery stores.

 

Stay-at-home mom Joey Resciniti says she bought one of the last two boxes of Eggos at a Walmart in Cranberry Township, Pa., on Monday. The frozen waffles are a favorite of her 4-year-old daughter, Julia.

 

"We have eight of them, and if we ration those — maybe have half an Eggo in one sitting — then it'll last longer," said Resciniti, who blogs about being a mother. "I told my husband that maybe I need to put them on eBay."

 

Charles didn't know how long the Atlanta plant was shut down, but said that it's back at full production now.

 

The existing stock of Eggos will be distributed nationally based on stores' sales histories of the waffles, Charles said.

 

"We are working around the clock to restore Eggo store inventories to normal levels as quickly as possible," she wrote in the e-mail.

 

Eggo first hit the shelves in 1960, and its cult following grew in the following years. Kellogg started using the famed slogan "Leggo my Eggo" in 1972. For years, the waffles have been a staple for busy moms and college students looking for a quick breakfast.

 

This week, news of the shortage spread quickly on Twitter as shoppers reported not being able to find the breakfast food. Fans of Eggos lamented their scarcity on the waffle's Facebook page, which has more than 400 members.

 

Eggos are also made at plants in San Jose, Calif., and Blue Anchor, N.J.

[remphish1]

link

 

Kellogg warns: Brace for an Eggo shortage

 

Issues at two facilities means freezers could be bare until next summer

 

updated 4:24 p.m. ET, Wed., Nov . 18, 2009

 

ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

ATLANTA - Dear Kellogg: Leggo my Eggo!

 

Kellogg Co. says there will be a nationwide shortage of its popular Eggo frozen waffles until next summer because of interruptions in production at two of the four plants that make them.

 

The company's Atlanta plant was shut down for an undisclosed period by a September storm that dumped historic amounts of rain in the area. Meanwhile, several production lines at its largest bakery in Rossville, Tenn. are closed indefinitely for repairs, company spokeswoman Kris Charles said in an e-mail.

Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

 

It will take until the middle of 2010 before shelves around the country are stocked at pre-shutdown levels, Charles said.

 

Already customers are noticing near-empty Eggo shelves on the freezer aisle at many grocery stores.

 

Stay-at-home mom Joey Resciniti says she bought one of the last two boxes of Eggos at a Walmart in Cranberry Township, Pa., on Monday. The frozen waffles are a favorite of her 4-year-old daughter, Julia.

 

"We have eight of them, and if we ration those — maybe have half an Eggo in one sitting — then it'll last longer," said Resciniti, who blogs about being a mother. "I told my husband that maybe I need to put them on eBay."

 

Charles didn't know how long the Atlanta plant was shut down, but said that it's back at full production now.

 

The existing stock of Eggos will be distributed nationally based on stores' sales histories of the waffles, Charles said.

 

"We are working around the clock to restore Eggo store inventories to normal levels as quickly as possible," she wrote in the e-mail.

 

Eggo first hit the shelves in 1960, and its cult following grew in the following years. Kellogg started using the famed slogan "Leggo my Eggo" in 1972. For years, the waffles have been a staple for busy moms and college students looking for a quick breakfast.

 

This week, news of the shortage spread quickly on Twitter as shoppers reported not being able to find the breakfast food. Fans of Eggos lamented their scarcity on the waffle's Facebook page, which has more than 400 members.

 

Eggos are also made at plants in San Jose, Calif., and Blue Anchor, N.J.

 

Uggh I only have two waffles left in the freezer..better go to the store soon!

[bjorn_skurj]

F! Eggo panic!

[plasticeyeball]

for someone who goes through at least one, sometimes two costco box(s) of 60 eggo's a month, this is bad news.

[uncool2pillow]

All is well as long as we can get Krusteaz frozen pancakes. If there's a shortage on those, I'm going to have to arm myself.

[cryptique]

More on the Eggo crisis...

 

The Waffle Crisis Hits Home in San Jose

 

By Lori Preuitt and Garvin Thomas

 

NBCBayArea.com

 

Eggo Way has got to be one of San Jose's shortest streets.

 

You can drive it for all of about 20 feet before running smack into the gates of Kellog's Eggo factory.

 

Still, even from this side of the bars, you hear a factory humming away at top speed, doing its best to keep up with a nation desperate not to let go of their Eggos.

 

Oh, Eggo.

 

Kelsie Brady, for one, has heard news of the Eggo shortage and she reacted by scooping up some of the dwindling supply at the Cosentino's Market in San Jose.

 

One thing waffle lovers may not be aware of is the Eggo's deep connection to the Bay Area.

 

The factory in San Jose is one of only two factories in the country currently producing the frozen breakfast treat. And it isn't just a place where they make Eggos, it's where frozen waffles were invented.

 

Frank Dorsa's father and two brothers started the Eggo company back in the 1930s.

 

The younger Dorsa now owns a chain of South Bay car washes, a business that relies on quite a bit of automation. Just the kind of the thing Frank Senior brought to waffle production.

 

The kind of thing that led to Kellog's buying them out in the 1960s. So what would Frank Senior say about a company not able to keep up with the Eggo demand?

 

"He'd say fix it and don't wait six months or a year, fix it tomorrow," Frank Jr. said.

 

He says in 1946, while the family was in Yosemite on vacation, the San Jose factory burned to the ground. The family raced back and his father had an assembly line set up in the street and was back in business in just one week.

[u2roolz]

Facebook Blamed for Benefits Loss

 

BROMONT, Quebec (Nov. 22) -- A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression says she lost her benefits because her insurance agent found photos of her on Facebook in which she appeared to be having fun.

Nathalie Blanchard has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, for the last year.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Saturday she was diagnosed with major depression and was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits from insurance giant Manulife.

 

But the payments dried up this fall and when Blanchard called Manulife, she says she was told she was available to work because of Facebook.

She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on Facebook, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sunny holiday.

Blanchard said Manulife told her it's evidence she is no longer depressed. She's fighting to get her benefits reinstated and says her lawyer is exploring what the next step should be.

Blanchard told the CBC that on her doctor's advice, she tried to have fun, including nights out at her local bar with friends and short getaways to sun destinations, as a way to forget her problems.

Manulife wouldn't comment on Blanchard's case, but did say they would not deny or terminate a claim solely based on information published on Web sites such as Facebook.

Facebook Story

 

Edit: (My own .02 cents. I love these types of stories. With my background in communication media (concentration in film), we studied lots of similar cases in Comm Law & Ethics.)(My comments below)

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It does raise some interesting questions like: Is her facebook page private or public? If it was private did she accept a friend request from her insurance agent? Was she posting these photos with the intent to show loved ones that she was trying to "have fun"? Do these photos REALLY mean that's she no longer depressed? LOL. Before facebook would you have to have this person followed around for clues as to her depression? Would you hire a mustachioed private eye to break into her house to look for such lascivious photos?

 

I love those stories about college football recruiters making fake myspace/facebook pages, usually as a beautiful woman, to do background checks on potential students/players. According to an ESPN Sports Center that I watched, it is pretty common place nowadays.

Using Search Engines for Businesses

Fake Pages & Sports Recruiting

 

It almost always elicits the same response from those potential students/players: my PRIVACY is being broken.

 

Recently, I think, something that someone posted on Twitter or Facebook got them into hot water with a company. The company was going to sue because of what they said online.

 

All of this is fascinating because where do you draw the line? Is one person's opinion going to really take down/taint your company? How many people are friends/followers of that person? How many of them will agree with their position? Are we to take facebook and twitter at the same level as the mainstream press?

 

Ultimately, has technology forever blurred the line between privacy and publicity? Are we being punished for our own narcissism? Is one person's narcissism another's yearn for human connection?