pileofcrapola

(credit: Jonathan Kriz)

Fecal transplants have gone to the dogs—literally.

A veterinarian in Palmetto, Florida this week revealed a technique that uses poop transfers to successfully treat service puppies in-training that suffer from recurrent diarrhea, a common problem for dogs kept in kennels. The method reportedly cured 87 percent of dogs in the first round and 93 percent of those needing a second treatment.

The veterinarian—Kevin Conrad, head of Palmetto's Southeastern Guide Dogs—said that he and his colleagues began looking into the treatment as a way to cut costs for common gastrointestinal problems that are often caused by bacterial infections that shed from puppy to puppy.

Read 6 remaining paragraphs | Comments

(credit: Sandy/Chuck Harris)

In colder climes, signs of spring can lift a heavy weight from a tired, frozen spirit. Trees bud, flowers bloom, and migratory species trickle in to announce the approach of summer. In the US, one of those species is a floppy orange gem: the monarch butterfly. These insects winter in amazingly dense clusters in Mexican forests before making a staggeringly long journey (one that spans multiple generations, in fact) to summer homes to the north.

But in recent years, the population of monarchs that stay east of the Rockies has dropped like a rock. Precise population numbers are difficult to come by, but estimates kept by the US Fish and Wildlife Service show about an 80 percent decline over the last decade.

Unfortunately, it appears that humans are responsible. The life cycle of the monarch is tightly linked with the milkweed plant. Females lay almost all of their eggs on these plants, and the larvae happily munch on them when they hatch. Milkweed tends to pop up in areas where the soil has been disturbed, like farm fields.

Read 9 remaining paragraphs | Comments

Boxed cake mix isn’t as good as scratch-made, but it’s fast and convenient. If you are relying on a box, give it a helping hand by swapping the water in your batter for coffee. It’ll give the final cake a deeper, richer flavor.

Read more...

As a mom of a Girl Scout, I hope you will buy your Thin Mints from the Girl Scouts. However, cookie season is coming to a close. Make those minty chocolate cookies last all year round with this copycat version.

Read more...

NEW YORK (AP) — The idea came to them, remarkably, without alcohol playing a factor: Two magicians in Australia decided to create a new kind of show that mixed stripping and illusion.

That’s right, a naked magic show.

“It’s kind of crazy because magic is the second-oldest profession ever and we couldn’t believe that no one had combined the two things that everyone loves — magic and nudity,” said Christopher Wayne. “You know what? We weren’t drunk when we came up with this.”

Wayne and his co-creator and co-star Mike Tyler have successfully toured Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. Now they plan to tour the U.S.

“We promise that ‘The Naked Magic Show’ will be one of the most amazing magic shows you’ll ever see,” said Tyler by phone from Brisbane. “We promise it’ll be one the funniest comedy shows you’ll ever see. And we do promise full-frontal illusion.”

The North America tour kicks off April 21 in Baltimore. It then goes to Rhode Island; Connecticut; Washington, D.C.; Wisconsin; Minnesota; Illinois; Michigan; Indiana; Pennsylvania; New York; Arizona; Colorado; Massachusetts; Oregon; Washington; Georgia; Iowa; Florida; North Carolina; and Kentucky, with several stops in Canada.

Wayne, 31, who had his own TV series, “More Than Magic,” and Tyler, also 31, a former competitive swimmer and magician at corporate get-togethers, have been friends for years.

After the release of the Channing Tatum male-stripper film, “Magic Mike,” they noticed members of their audience getting a little feisty, asking things like “How big is your magic wand?” and “Can you make my clothes disappear?”

“So we got to thinking, ‘What about if we could create the world’s first naughty magic show?'” said Tyler. “Good magicians don’t need sleeves and great magicians don’t need pants.”

A tour last year included three weeks in America, with stops in Massachusetts and Florida. It was a test to see if Yanks outside Las Vegas, where nudity and magic have been merged before, were ready for this level of sharing.

“We weren’t sure when we went over how America would take this show,” said Wayne. “In our head, we thought you guys might be a bit more conservative or you might not get our Aussie brand of humor. But it just absolutely exploded over there.”

The pair said they spent the better part of a year making sure both parts of the act were balanced perfectly — the magic was good and the eye candy was buff.

“We spent so much time making sure it was legitimately the funniest show that we could make, and we feel like we’ve kind of caught some lightning in a bottle, thanks to a lot of hard work,” Wayne said.

“And then we wanted to make sure that we had something nice for the audience to look at so we both dedicated every spare moment of every day to working out.”

They’ve somehow gotten comfortable slowly stripping in front of fans. The hardest part was the first time they got into their birthday suits together.

“We were best mates before we started doing the show and the moment had come where we had to get naked in front of each other,” said Tyler. “Once we got naked in front of each other, it’s surprisingly easy to get naked in front of an audience that’s clapping and cheering and having a great time.”

And, yes, their parents have seen the show. It was no big deal. “They saw us naked when we were kids anyway,” said Tyler, laughing.

___

Online:

http://nakedmagicianslive.com

___

Follow Mark Kennedy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

The post Nothing up their sleeves: 2 Australians mix nudity, magic appeared first on WTOP.

QUARRYVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Investigators in Pennsylvania are trying to find out who left more than 40 dead ducks along a rural road last week.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture says more the ducks were placed on the road after they were already killed.

Agriculture spokeswoman Brandi-Hunter Davenport tells LNP (http://bit.ly/1XPvDs2 ) that tests determined they didn’t die of disease.

The birds were left along a road in southern Lancaster County, about 50 miles southeast of Harrisburg, on March 16. The birds died of some kind of trauma and were likely dropped from a vehicle that drove along the road. The ducks were found along more than a one-mile stretch.

The state police are continuing to investigate who killed and dumped the ducks.

The post Official: 40 dead ducks along Pennsylvania road placed there appeared first on WTOP.

TIAWAH, Okla. (AP) — Authorities in Oklahoma say a rancher attempting to deliver a calf was dragged to death by the cow after he became entangled in a chain.

Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton says the 75-year-old man was using a calf-pulling chain to help deliver the calf Tuesday when something spooked the cow, causing it to take off running.

The sheriff says the rancher’s wrist was caught in the chain and he was dragged behind the cow. He tells the Claremore Daily Progress (http://bit.ly/1RjNDu8 ) that the rancher was still entangled in the chain when emergency responders arrived.

Walton says authorities euthanized the cow in hopes of saving the man’s life but that the rancher was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident happened in a rural area about 35 miles northeast of Tulsa.

___

Information from: Claremore Daily Progress, http://www.claremoreprogress.com

The post Sheriff: Oklahoma rancher dragged to death by calving cow appeared first on WTOP.

RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) — Authorities say a man covered in gold spray paint was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in the San Francisco Bay Area after he allegedly hit three cars on a freeway and then led police on a brief chase.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1Un51RJ) that the chase on Interstate 80 in Richmond came to an end when a wheel fell off his car. No one was injured.

California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer Sean Wilkenfeld says the man was identified as 21-year-old Damaj Cook. It was not immediately clear if he has an attorney.

An off-duty CHP officer witnessed the beginning of the mayhem and followed the suspect, who was covered head-to-toe in gold spray paint.

Cook was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and hit-and-run.

___

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com

The post Man painted gold arrested in California freeway hit-and-run appeared first on WTOP.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — They’re not quite ready for their public close-up, but four black-and-white ruffed lemur babies are off to a good start at the Philadelphia Zoo.

They were born last month to 9-year-old Kiaka and 10-year-old Huey, weighing in at a combined one-third of a pound.

Kiaka is proving to be a good first-time mom. She carries the fluffy siblings in her mouth from one nest box to another, since they cannot move around on their own for a few months.

They’ll try solid foods at six to eight weeks but will continue nursing for several more months after that.

The lemurs are critically endangered in their native home of Madagascar. But the species has thrived in captivity.

A public debut at the zoo is planned in the coming weeks.

The post 4 lemur babies, first-time mom, doing well at zoo appeared first on WTOP.

HICKORY, N.C. (AP) — Police say someone broke into a mausoleum at a North Carolina cemetery and stole the skull of World War II veteran.

Investigators said in a news release that a city employee noticed damaged to the mausoleum Wednesday morning in Hickory and called police.

Authorities say James William Floyd’s casket was opened, but only the skull was taken. A funeral home is keeping Floyd’s remains until the mausoleum can be fixed.

Police are investigating the theft of the skull, and no arrests have been made.

Floyd’s obituary said he died in July 2008 at the age of 84.

The post World War II veteran’s skull stolen from Hickory cemetery appeared first on WTOP.

SALEM, Mass. (AP) — Police say surgeons at a Massachusetts hospital removed 27 bags of heroin from a man who allegedly swallowed them to smuggle them into the United States.

The Salem News reports (http://bit.ly/1RoPNrc ) that 51-year-old Miguel Rodriguez, of Lynn, faces drug trafficking charges.

Police say they believe a bag broke open after Rodriguez returned from a visit to the Dominican Republic. They say he checked into the North Shore Medical Center Salem Hospital with symptoms of an overdose.

The paper reports that surgeons removed the bags from the man’s stomach, intestines and rectum during emergency surgery on Tuesday. Salem police detectives watched and counted the bags.

The public defender representing Rodriguez couldn’t immediately be reached to comment on Rodriguez’s behalf.

He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment at the hospital Thursday.

The post Police: Surgeons remove 27 bags of heroin from man appeared first on WTOP.

(CANTON, Md.) — Tigger, a 21-year-old cat, is living out his final days by embarking on a bucket list adventure with his two loving owners.

“We want to do fun things with him until he tells us, ‘Ok, this isn’t so fun for me anymore,” Adriene Buisch of Canton, Maryland, told ABC News. “He’s become a little local celebrity. I took him to the beach and he met people, played in the sand, got his head scratched. … He loved it.”

Buisch, 31, said she and her boyfriend, Michael, adopted Tigger last year after reading on Facebook that he was abandoned at a local veterinary hospital.

Tigger was abandoned by his owners who informed the vet that he is 21 years old, Buisch said.

The feline’s fur was matted down, he was diagnosed with kidney failure and later, multiple tumors were found on his body.

“Being his age and having kidney failure, he’s not a candidate for surgery,” said Buisch, who works for Charm City Veterinary Hospital in Baltimore. “He’s a love bug. We crack up because his body is 21, but we swear his mind is 2 [years old].”

In an effort to fill his final days with love and excitement, Buisch started a bucket list for Tigger and began documenting it on Tigger’s very own Facebook page.

Tigger recently crossed some items off his list, including a day at the beach, a road trip to Washington, D.C., a stroll in the neighborhood and an ugly Christmas sweater photo.

Buisch said his next adventures include a blind date with a female cat and, to satisfy his love of the outdoors, a trip to the waterfront and a boat ride complete with a personal flotation device.

“He’ll strut his stuff down the sidewalk and there’s people everywhere, dogs, so we definitely think he’s had exposure to the outside,” Buisch said. “We’ve walked around for nearly two hours because he was loving it so much. He’s been rambunctious lately, but on the upside, he loves mommy.”

“He’s the type of cat that if you look at him and pet him and stopped, he’ll grab you,” Buisch said. “It’s the little things we see, the little things in his personality. I can’t tell you how good it makes us feel. It’s just hard because we got attached very quickly.”

Tigger has over 1,900 followers on his Facebook page.

Buisch said people from around the world are suggesting items to add to her cat’s bucket list.

Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

The post 21-year-old cat lives out final days with bucket list adventure appeared first on WTOP.

WASHINGTON — Bird watchers nationwide who enjoyed live updates as D.C.’s National Arboretum bald eaglets hatched can experience the miracle of life all over again with a new bald eagle camera in the District.

The Metropolitan Police Department Academy in Southeast D.C. launched a live stream of its bald eagle nest after a pair of bald eagles laid two eggs last month.

Sound familiar?

Last week, two eaglets hatched at the U.S. National Arboretum, and the whole experience was captured via live stream. The parents — “Mr. President” and “The First Lady” — have been nesting in a tree at the U.S. National Arboretum since 2014. This year, one egg was laid Feb. 10; a second, on Valentine’s Day.

At the MPD Academy, the camera hopes to capture the hatching of two new eggs laid Feb. 18 and Feb. 20. The bald eagle parents, “Freedom” and “Justice,” have nested at the location for 11 years, police say.

The eaglets are expected to hatch between March 23 and 28.

“Freedom, the female, has primary responsibility for incubating her eggs and caring for the young chicks, once they hatch. Justice, the male, has the crucial job of catching fish and bringing them for his mate and hatchlings,” police said in a news release.

Police Chief Cathy Lanier named the bald eagle parents when they started nesting at the location in 2005.

Watch the live stream below:

The post Camera captures another set of soon-to-hatch bald eagle eggs (Video) appeared first on WTOP.

The post Photos: Centrolina hatches 50-pound chocolate egg for Easter appeared first on WTOP.

A year after sticking it to Family Dollar for brushing off its $9 billion takeover bid by saying it would open 730 new stores in 2015, Dollar General is continuing to spend the money its rival retailer wouldn’t take, announcing its plans to open 2,000 new stores through 2017. 

The Associated Press reports that Dollar General announced during an investor meeting Thursday that it will open 900 new stores and relocate or remodel 875 other stores during the next 12 months.

As for 2017, the company says it will open about 1,000 additional locations.

Dollar General’s determined expansion plan comes as a sign the company is continuing to respond to added competition from the year-old merger of the Family Dollar and Dollar Tree companies.

Those two companies combined to have about 13,000 stores. Under Dollar General’s plan it would recapture the top dollar store crown with a total of more than 14,000 stores.

While Dollar Tree was ultimately named the victor of the dollar store war and won the heart of Family Dollar, had Dollar General been successful in landing the smaller store, it would likely have had to sell off nearly 4,000 stores.

The sordid dollar store love triangle began back in July 2014 when Dollar Tree made an $8.5 billion bid for North Carolina-based Family Dollar. Not one to feel left out, Dollar General proceeded to provide an unsolicited bid of $8.95 billion for the smaller chain.

But Family Dollar wasn’t feeling the love and rejected the Dollar General offer citing “significant antitrust issues” because the two chains have similar business models. Both Dollar General and Family Dollar sell items at different dollar price points, catering to low-income shoppers, while Dollar Tree caters to more middle-income shoppers and sells most items at $1.

Dollar General came back with a second bid of $9.1 billion and in an attempt to ease Family Dollars’ anti-trust review fears, it proposed closing 1,500 of the potentially combined-companies 20,000 stores.

Yet, that still wasn’t enough and Family Dollar rejected the bid, choosing instead to stay with its true love, Dollar Tree. Dollar General subsequently turned hostile, taking its big directly to shareholders in September.

The ordeal concluded in January when the shareholders for Family Dollar overwhelmingly voted in favor of a smaller, but safer, takeover bid from Dollar Tree, effectively crushing the heart of aggressive suitor Dollar General.

If you have a network connection of a certain speed available on your phone, you expect receive data at roughly that speed, more or less. That’s how it works. Except that’s not how it’s been working for Netflix: the popular streaming video service was moving at a fraction of what users expected, on Verizon and AT&T networks. Consumers were all ready to line up and blame their mobile carriers, but the wireless companies weren’t the ones screwing around with anything, as it turns out. Netflix was.

The Wall Street Journal confirmed late last night that for the the last five years, Netflix has been capping their own mobile data streams at 600 Kbps on most wireless networks around the world.

The reasoning? If you hit your data cap and get socked with overage fees you won’t be watching any more Netflix this month — and you might cut back in future months, too. Therefore, in the interest of keeping customers watching and subscribing, they throttled the streams.

In terms of data usage, it’s easy to see why they chose that tactic. When we did the math on HD video a while back, Netflix was recommending a connection of 5MBps or faster in order to view HD video content… and their HD video streams used about 3 GB of bandwidth per hour. We calculated that viewing a lot of video (like, say, the entire 62-episode run of Breaking Bad) would put you so far over your average mobile data cap as to be completely ludicrous. In fact with those numbers, you’d go over a 3 GB data plan — Verizon’s “medium” — in a single episode.

Except millions of people with 3GB or 10GB data plans manage to watch Netflix for a few hours a month without going hundreds of dollars over their limits. So what gives?

Netflix gives.

Although your average modern mobile 4G LTE network can easily download data at speeds between 10 and 50 Mbps, the throttled Netflix streams are capped at less than 5 Mbps, allowing you to stroll, rather than sprint, towards your monthly data cap. You’ll still get there if you’re not using WiFi when you can, but it’ll take longer.

But wait: Netflix admitted to doing it for Verizon and AT&T customers, but not for T-Mobile or Sprint. Why not? Because “historically those two companies have had more consumer-friendly policies,” Netflix told the WSJ. Specifically, they mean the practice of throttling down data instead of charging overage fees. Watching too much Netflix in one week might mean you can’t for the next three weeks, but it won’t make you broke. And consumers are very sensitive to hits in the wallet region.

(T-Mobile customers, however, may still see reduced-quality Netflix streams thanks to the carrier’s BingeOn program.)

An AT&T representative told the WSJ, “We’re outraged to learn that Netflix is apparently throttling video for their AT&T customers without their knowledge or consent.” And while Netflix customers now have knowledge, there’s a decent case to be made that they didn’t exactly consent.

However, now that they’ve been called out on their behavior, Netflix says they’re working on ways to give consumers some say. They are “exploring new ways to give members more control in choosing video quality,” they told the WSJ, as well as soon launching a “mobile data saver” that will allow subscribers to tinker around with their mobile streaming settings.

Netflix Throttles Its Videos on AT&T, Verizon Networks [Wall Street Journal]

Here’s how eCash for truck drivers at Toys ‘R’ Us was supposed to work. Authorized employees would load the cash on drivers’ debit cards, and the drivers would use that money for things like meals, lodging, and repairs to their vehicles. Employees other than drivers are not supposed to load up a debit card with company money, then withdraw cash at an ATM. Yet one man is accused of doing exactly that, taking out $1.89 million over a period of almost three years.

Reuters reports that one of the company’s directors of inbound and outbound transportation loaded up a fleet card and withdrew cash in three different European countries, and those transactions coincided with dates when the employee was traveling there.

He allegedly made a total of 117 transfers from the money meant for the chain’s fleet drivers while not driving a truck, and an ATM surveillance camera caught him making a withdrawal at a cash machine in New Jersey. He began transferring money in May 2013, and the last transfers were made earlier this month. According to the criminal complaint, he withdrew thousands of dollars from ATMs in Europe and at home, and he also transferred around $600,000 to his personal checking account

The federal government is holding him without bail.

Toys “R” Us employee accused by U.S. of $2 million card theft [Reuters]
Toys ‘R’ Us manager used $2M in fraudulent debit cards for lavish European spending sprees, prosecutors say [New York Daily News]

The hunt is over for the JetBlue flight attendant accused of bolting from a security checkpoint and abandoning a bag stuffed with 69 pounds of cocaine at Los Angeles Airport: authorities say she’s been arrested across the country in New York.

The woman was taken into custody on Wednesday after officials say she surrendered to the Drug Enforcement Administration at John F. Kennedy International Airport, reports CBS Los Angeles.

According to authorities, the flight attendant was selected by the Transportation Security Administration at random on Friday for a secondary security screening at Los Angeles International Airport, which isn’t typical for crew members.

The criminal complaint alleges that after she entered the secondary screening area, she dropped her bag, kicked off her Gucci heels and fled, running down an upward escalator.

When authorities searched her carry-on bags, they discovered something that shouldn’t be there.

“The abandoned luggage was subsequently found to contain eleven individually wrapped packages that each contained a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine that, in total, weighed approximately 68.49 pounds,” the complaint states.

She’s now been charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. She’s facing 10 years behind bars if she’s convicted of drug trafficking.

JetBlue Flight Attendant Accused Of Abandoning Cocaine-Filled Luggage At LAX Arrested In New York [CBS Los Angeles]

There’s a reason why companies that handle sensitive billing information may ask customers to verify their email addresses before sending any communications. It’s to prevent customers from seeing things they shouldn’t. So why doesn’t AT&T have such a safeguard in place for its customers?

Consumerist reader Joshua emailed us recently with an issue he was having trouble getting resolved. He received an order confirmation from AT&T for a home security system at an address in Detroit — which is an issue, because he lives in Minnesota. The order contained the person’s first name, date the order was placed, their address, the type of service, type of credit card used, and the amount billed.

“I am an AT&T customer; have been for over a decade. My email address has been on file with them for years now as an authorized user (the account is under my wife’s name),” Joshua wrote. “I was surprised that an account they had on record as belonging to me could be used by someone else without raising any flags.”

Reaching Out

He contacted AT&T using the phone number in the email, and was bounced from a sales rep to the global fraud prevention department. He explained the issue, telling the rep upfront that the email belonged to him, but that the information was intended for another customer.

He told her he didn’t think he should be receiving such information, nor did he think that the other customer would be pleased to know he’d gotten it.

He tells Consumerist that the fraud prevention representative was “incredibly rude and downright dismissive.”

“When I asked her why AT&T didn’t take the basic step of verifying ownership of an email address prior to using it for billing purposes, she flatly stated that AT&T could not and would not do that, as it ‘was not possible’ in the first place.”

Which is odd, Joshua says, considering turnkey services exist for this very reason, and many other businesses will email a unique link or code to the address for confirmation.

“She refused to remove my email from the account, refused to even do so much as confirm that someone would look into the issue,” Joshua writes. “I was really taken aback.”

Going Social

He also vented on Twitter about the issue, and was contacted by a social media manager asking for his email address. He provided it — but then got no response.

A few days later, Joshua wrote to Consumerist with his plight, and we reached out to AT&T that day to ask why the company doesn’t verify email addresses used for sensitive communications. With Joshua’s permission, we provided his contact information yet again.

That same day, an AT&T social media manager replied to Joshua’s direct message on Twitter, apologizing for the delay in responding and asking for his email address (again), and the billing account number or phone number associated with the email.

Joshua didn’t see the message immediately, saying he doesn’t often check his Twitter inbox, as that’s not a method of communication he’s used to using. Besides, he’d given Consumerist permission to share his email address with AT&T AND had shared it directly with the social media rep who asked for it before, so he thought that would be how the company would reach out to him.

He once again provided his email address to the person writing from AT&T’s Twitter account, as well as as much information he could glean from the misdirected emails about the other customer’s accounts.

Apology Without Action

At that time, a rep for AT&T told Consumerist that the company’s policies don’t allow for sharing details about customer accounts in these situations, but said that they were able to “resolve the issue” and would be letting Joshua know that.

“We’ll also apologize for the inconvenience and the delay in getting back to his social media queries,” he said.

That same day, another AT&T social media rep messaged Joshua saying, “We are here to help, Joshua. Your account details are being reviewed. Thanks!”

It’s been a week since then, and Joshua says he’s still receiving email regarding the other person’s account.

“Just got one asking me to set up permits for the alarm to avoid fines,” Joshua writes. “It looks as if AT&T does not care whether or not their customer in Detroit is getting fined or not!”

Joshua says the situation ticks him off, because it’s an example of an otherwise responsible company not taking “basic steps to validate contact information prior to sending personally identifying information.”

That behavior could be dangerous: Joshua notes that AT&T sent him enough information that it would be easy for him to call the other person, pose as an AT&T rep, cite order details, and claim there was a problem with billing, and ask the customer to repeat their card number and confirmation code on the AmEx/Visa/Mastercard/Discover credit card they used to set up the account.

And beyond that, he’s still getting those emails meant for a stranger. What’s to prevent AT&T from sending Joshua’s information to other people as well?

“I would be furious if they made it this easy for someone else to steal MY info, and then refused to take any action when informed of the problem,” Joshua writes.

We’ve reached out to AT&T multiple times since our last communication to ask again, why the company doesn’t offer email verification for customers who choose to have billing and other sensitive account information emailed to them, and have not heard back.

“The burden of keeping my information private should be on the company, not on the consumer,” Joshua says. “I can’t stop people from accidentally using my address, but there is absolutely no reason for AT&T not to check the email before sending personal details — especially when the email in question is already in their system, tied to another account, under a different name, in a different state.”

Mother Nature may pose a danger to mankind at times, but we humans can do a pretty good job of messing things up all on our own. For example, a homeowner in Texas was relieved when her house was spared from a tornado… and then incredibly upset to find that a wrecking crew had demolished the house accidentally.

What nature spared, man took away, when the woman arrived home this week to find that a demolition company had made a mistake and accidentally tore down her house, reports KMOV.com.

Though tornadoes had touched down in the area in December, wreaking havoc on other houses in the neighborhood, her home had escaped serious damage. She and her family had been preparing to make repairs to the house after an engineer deemed it structurally sound. The house did not escape human error, however.

“Boom. Just like the tornado came through again,” the homeowner told KMOV of finding her home demolished.

She says she met with the demolition supervisor right after the incident, who told her what happened: the wrecking crew had called and given the number of the address they were at, saying it was a corner lot, and asking if they should be tearing down that house. The supervisor apparently affirmed, without confirming the street name. Instead of tearing down a house one block over, her house was destroyed.

The supervisor passed her along to the company president, who she said only offered excuses when she called.

“I didn’t believe he was telling me this,” she told the news station. “I was hoping for an apology — ‘I’m sorry my company did this, we’ll make it better,’ and instead he’s telling me how the insurance is going to handle it, and telling me that it’s going to be a nasty fight.”

She says she’s still hoping the company will help her, or she’ll consider legal action.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of accidental home demolition, sadly: there was the man who went out of town for a few months, only to return to find the town had destroyed his house in his absence; and the man who was accused of changing an address so a wrecking crew would demolish his neighbor’s house instead of his own.

Wrong house demolished in mix-up in TX [KMOV.com]

Food festivals: they’re lots of fun, great for tourism, and celebrate local cuisine and restaurants. Unfortunately, a new scam is ruining the good name of food festivals by taking consumers’ money in exchange for tickets to a food festival that doesn’t actually exist. The non-event is touring around the country: don’t get your hopes up about an unlimited crab dinner and lose your money.

Our colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports shared how this scam works: you see an ad online, maybe on Facebook or on Groupon, for a new local food festival that you’ve never heard of, with names like the “Hot Garlic Crab Feed” or “The Super Crab Festival.” The deal is that you pay $50 for unlimited food including fresh crab, or $99 for an upgraded ticket that includes steak and lobster.

Enough people have thought this sounded like a fun time and a good deal that they bought tickets and showed up at the sites where the crab feeds were supposed to be. The fake festival has hit San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Houston so far.

How should you know to stay away from this non-festival? Note that when you click on the site, it redirects you straight to a separate, seemingly unrelated site to buy tickets.

The purported Dungeness Crab Association website looks unprofessional, and the Facebook page that the site links to no longer exists. Unless the people behind it were very dedicated, a fake festival would have phone numbers and e-mail addresses that were fake, or that no one answered.

No matter how delicious a new festival might look, check it out before signing on to buy tickets.

Beware of the Fake Food Festival [Consumer Reports]

If you’ve got any old VHS tapes still kicking around, now might be a good time to make sure they weren’t rentals you forgot to return way back when. Otherwise, you may find yourself clapped in handcuffs, like a North Carolina man who was recently arrested for failing to return a VHS copy of Freddy Got Fingered to a video store in 2002. Yes, this really happened.

The rental store has since closed, but that didn’t stop police for arresting the man after he was pulled over for a tail-light that was out while driving his daughter to school Tuesday morning, reports WSOC.

After the officer ran his license and a 25-minute wait, he was asked to step out of his vehicle.

“The officer said, ‘I don’t know how to tell you this but there’s a warrant out for your arrest from 2002. Apparently you rented the movie “Freddy Got Fingered” and never returned it.’ I thought he was joking,” said the man. Nope, not joking.

The officers let him take his daughter to school and go to work as long as he promised to turn himself in later that day. He figured he’d sort everything out at the station, so he was surprised when officers arrested him on the charge of failure to return rental property, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $200.

He says he vaguely recalls renting the movie, starring comedian Tom Green — who called him up on Wednesday night to say hello.

The mans’ friend had shared his story with Green on Twitter, the New York Daily News reports, and the comedian found it totally hilarious, if not somewhat unreal.

The comedian, who is currently on a stand-up tour in Australia, told the NYDN that he’s happy to support fans of his film, which currently has an 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. He added that he could put in a good word for the man in court, or help out with some cash — to a point.

“If it’s 200 bucks of course I’ll pay it for him, just for the principle of the thing,” Green said.

Concord man arrested for not returning VHS rental 14 years later [WSOC]
North Carolina man arrested for not returning 2001 VHS rental of ‘Freddy Got Fingered’ could have fine paid by movie’s star Tom Green [New York Daily News]

After facing backlash and fallout from its funding of the now-defunct Global Energy Balance Network — an anti-obesity organization with a decidedly pro-soda bent — Coca-Cola began disclosing all of its spending in the U.S. on scientific research and health partnerships. Now, nearly six months after first disclosing it had spent $118.5 million in a five-year period, the company has come back with an updated figure of $132.8 million. 

The Associated Press reports that Coca-Cola has doubled back and revised its initial disclosures — unveiled in September 2015 — after conducting an internal investigation.

In all, the company says it spent $132.8 million on scientific research and health partnerships from 2005 to 2010.

The hefty tab went toward funding for groups like the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the National Park Foundation, a health fair for the National Organization for Mexican American Rights, the American Council for Fitness and the American Diabetes Association.

But it also included payments to health and fitness experts who simply mentioned the company’s products in blog posts or columns, the AP reports.

The company says that the $1 million it gave to the University of Colorado for the creation of the Global Energy Balance has also been returned. However, $507,000 given to the University of South Carolina as part of GEBN has yet to be returned.

GEBN, which stressed the importance of proper diet and exercise in fighting obesity, came out of nowhere in recent years thanks to purportedly no-strings-attached funding from Coca-Cola. However, the group’s motives were questioned when its leadership made public statements that seemed to directly echo beverage industry talking points.

The organization, based at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, claimed that it was the media, and not science, that had linked the obesity problem to high-calorie foods, declaring that there is “virtually no compelling evidence that that, in fact, is the cause.”

When Coke’s involvement in the GEBN became known, the beverage biggie claimed it took a hands-off approach to the group. However, subsequently revealed emails showed that Coca-Cola was heavily involved in shaping the group’s message, likening it to “a political campaign, we will develop, deploy and evolve a powerful and multi-faceted strategy to counter radical organizations and their proponents.”

GEBN officially ceased to exist in December 2015.

In addition to revising its expenditures for research and health organizations, Coca-Cola says it removed several inaccurate listings from its website disclosing the partnerships, the AP reports.

Coke discloses more of its funding on health efforts [The Associated Press]

It must be an awkward conversation when you call up a friend to let her know that the house she owns is up for sale on Craigslist, but protecting us from scams is just one of the many purposes that friends serve in our lives. In California, a woman was surprised to learn that her house was listed as a rental on Craigslist, when she had no plans to rent it out.

Perhaps it was a mixup. While the ad didn’t list the home’s address, which is fortunate, it was definitely a photo of her house. She contacted the number listed on the ad, and the man who answered the phone stopped talking when she said that she was the homeowner.

What’s the scam here? CBS Los Angeles talked to another woman who had inquired about renting the house, which was advertised as a “rent-to-own” deal at an appealing price. The fake landlord advertising a real house asked her for $40, and she gave him her credit card information to charge her.

She doesn’t know whether the scam was just about collecting the forty bucks, or they were collecting credit card numbers to use for shopping sprees.

Find out how to look up property records in your area to make sure that a person who claims to own the home you want to rent actually does. Most importantly, though, don’t pay an application fee or submit a credit report from any sites that the prospective landlord sends you to, especially if you haven’t visited the property yet.

Woman Finds The Home She Owns Listed For Rent On Craigslist [CBS Los Angeles]

A mansion with Hugh Hefner inside might not be the only thing Playboy Enterprises is looking to get off its hands: the company is reportedly toying with the idea of selling itself. 

The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the situation, reports that the company is exploring a sale to companies that would license the brand for use in consumer goods, new media outfits, and trophy buyers.

The sources estimate that the company could bring in about $500 million in a possible sale.

While Playboy, which was taken private in 2011, doesn’t disclose financial information, documents reviewed by the WSJ calculate the company’s 2015 revenue at $38 million for media, and $55 million from licensing its brand to other companies.

The company put the mansion — with Hefner still inside — on the market for $200 million in January; sources say the possible sale of the company could include that property.

Reports that the company might be exploring a sale come just months after the magazine announced it would be getting rid of full-frontal nude photos. The magazine’s March issue is the first one where models keep their clothes on.

Playboy Enterprises Explores Sale [The Wall Street Journal]

Fashionable watches, a UPS power backup, and Bluetooth headphones kick off Thursday’s best deals.

Read more...

Sometimes cats that aren't necessarily bothered by changes within the house can react problematically with the arrival of company. The problem may not have been caused by lack of social interaction with enough people when it was a kitten, but it might be brought about by a single unfortunate troubling experience with a noisy, frightening, and unkind guest who unwittingly taught the cat to avoid all contact with future strangers, thus resulting in xenophobia or the fear of strangers.

If you're lost about how to solve this dilemma with your cat being afraid of people coming over, read on.

EditSteps

EditRestraint Method

1. Block the cat from attempting to escape or avoid exposure to the challenge that is being presented to it. When the cat succeeds in escaping, besides protecting it from the danger he perceives it to be, it's enabling him to learn how to cope on his own. Put the cat on a leash (if the cat is comfortable with wearing a harness or collar) or keep the cat in a portable cage for little amounts of time. This is so he can be around the guests. The remainder of these steps will assume you're using a cage.
   
2. Place the cage in the room where people are often invited to sit and relax before the guests arrive. This helps your cat familiarize itself in this certain room.
   
3. Choose your guest carefully. The more guests there are, the better, but the cat should start by having guests around that he knows, like family members. Ideally, they should be patient people, who have cats of their own and aren't scared of cats in any way.
   
4. Have the guests ring the doorbell instead of using a key. The cat's first reaction is the alarm and he usually attempts to escape. But the cage prevents him from doing so. Have the guest enter the house and you'll see the cat calm down quickly. Having the guest repeat this process should help the cat associate with getting used to the doorbell and having non-threatening guests around.
   
5. Have the guests sit in the room with the cat, at a short distance from him. It's also important that the cat gets used to having their presence around him in gradual stages over time. Since his cage has protected him from avoiding everybody, he should settle down quickly.
   
6. Progress can be sped up by quelling the cat's nervousness and overreactions with a small sedative treatment like Valium, but only under the direction of your veterinarian. However, it is very important that the cat doesn't become dependent on drugs. You should withdraw giving the sedative after a few days, so his tolerance is increasingly learned, and decreasingly drug dependent. The drugs are simply a vehicle for exposing the sufferer to his problem. On or off drugs, and with frequent exposure to as many different people as possible under good conditions, the cat should soon view its territory as neutral space and "outside" company in it no longer a threat.
   
7. This next step is a little more invasive toward the cat. Ask the guests to sit more closely to the cat's cage, a little at a time, so he can become familiar with their presence. The guests should not attempt to touch or speak to the cat until he's comfortable with their presence.
   
8. Remove the cat from his cage and restrain him with a harness or leash when visitors arrive. They should offer food like before. Holding the cat, approach your guests. This however, should be done calmly and slowly so he doesn't go into a state of panic like he used to before. Make sure the guests will also be calm and kind to the cat. Over time, you can allow the guests to stroke and pet him. It may not be alright to let the guest hold the cat because holding is considered an enclosing action denying him escape and this requires his full confidence.
   
   • It may be a good idea to have the guest approach the cat face to face at his level instead of intimidating him by bending over him. If your guest refrains from getting on the floor, place the cat either on the leash, on top of cage, or onto a table should be fine since this brings them to eye level with each other. Please do make sure, however, all visitors are safe and prepared if the cat decides to lash out and attack out of fear.

EditNo Restraint Method

1. Provide the cat with a safe area to go to before the strangers arrive. This is an area where the cat can completely avoid guests. Put water, food, and a litter box there. Put the cat there and let her remain there while guests come over. That way, the cat can stop associating the presence of guests in the home with anxiety.
   
2. Find your cat's "starting distance". Have a (patient) guest come as close as he or she can to your cat before the cat displays any signs of anxiety or aggression.
   
3. Ask the guest to remain motionless (standing or sitting). Bring the cat out of the safe area and put her at the starting distance.
   
   • If the cat remains calm, reward her behavior with treats, play, or petting and attention for a few minutes, then put her back in the safe area. You can repeat this exercise a few times while your guest is visiting.
   • If the cat seems uncomfortable, move her further away until she is calm, and reward her as just outlined.
4. Decrease the distance by a few inches. Keep doing these sessions, each time watching your cat carefully, and increasing the distance if she becomes anxious. Eventually, the cat will be calm enough to remain within arm's reach of the guest.
   
   • Anti-anxiety medication can help with this process also.
5. Find the starting distance for when your guest is not motionless. Ask your guest to pace back and forth or make any movement that you want your cat to get accustomed to. You may find that the starting distance is longer - some cats are more timid about movement. Repeat the exercises with your guest moving so that your cat becomes desensitized.
   

EditWarnings

• This process can take some time, so be patient.
• Do not rush the process, as it might affect the chances of the Xenophobia being broken.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Earn the Trust of a Stray Cat
• Pet a High Strung Cat
• Teach Your Cat to Give a Handshake
• Keep a Cat Calm During Fireworks