WEIRD NEWS
You Suck! Now Go Have a Bad Day!
It seems that a little more than a quarter of us are quite sensitive when it comes to comments on the internet. In a recent YouGov study, 26% of Americans say a negative internet comment has ruined their day. But more than half say it doesn't matter whether they get "likes" on their photos or not. And while 26% of Americans post photos of themselves once a week or more, only 10% say that getting "likes" is very important to them. A total of 39% said that likes were at least somewhat important to them. For many, a more personal dose of internet feedback has a greater impact. 61% said that reading a comment on their own post had made their day-only 26% said that a comment had ruined their day. Most people said positive comments had greater power to impact them than negative comments did. A total of 44% of respondents said they've felt better about themselves from a comment on something they posted, whereas only 20% said they'd felt bad about themselves from the same. (YouGov.com)
How Billionaires Stay Safe During Hurricanes
Billionaire Richard Branson promised to ride out Hurricane Irma on his private island in the Caribbean - and he did just that - in style. In a blog post, Branson said he and his crew made it through the night safely on Necker Island, his 74-acre retreat in the British Virgin Islands by hunkering down in the wine cellar! Branson posted: "We took shelter from the strongest hurricane ever inside the concrete cellar on Necker and very, very fortunately it held firm." However, he added that the Category 5 Irma was unlike any storm he'd ever encountered. "Necker and the whole area have been completely and utterly devastated," he wrote, urging anyone in its path to seek shelter. Earlier, Branson tweeted an image of his team before it hunkered down in the wine cellar and wrote: "I haven't had a sleepover quite like this since I was a kid." (USA Today)
Don't Mess With Taco Bell
In Cleveland, police say two masked robbers reportedly entered a Taco Bell restaurant and ordered three workers to lie on the floor. What they weren't expecting was three other Taco Bell workers who suddenly appeared with handguns and opened fire on the robbers, shooting one of them six times and killing him. The other suspect ran off. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office identified the dead man as 24-year-old De'Carlo Jackson. Investigators say Jackson was found with a loaded gun in his hand. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. No one has been arrested. The employees who opened fire are said to be two 19-year-old men and a 23-year-old man. (Newser)
The Waffle House Index - It's Real
You've probably heard about the legendary Waffle House Index. Just for the record, it's very real and still in use. The Southern diner chain is at the heart of an informal government test to find out how municipalities are dealing with hurricanes, tornadoes, and more. A FEMA blog post stated: "The Waffle House test just doesn't tell us how quickly a business might rebound - it also tells how the larger community is faring." The Waffle House Index appears to have started with former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate, who brought it up with the press multiple times during the Obama administration. Fugate explained the test in an interview last year saying: "They are open most of the time. If a Waffle House is closed because there's a disaster, it's bad. We call it red. If they're open but have a limited menu, that's yellow. If they're green, we're good." Approximately 250 Waffle Houses are expected to be impacted by Hurricane Irma. In comparison, Hurricane Harvey only affected 40 Waffle House locations. (USA Today)
And the Harvey Lawsuits Begin
Seven sheriff's deputies and medical emergency responders who say they were sickened by a chemical fire at a plant outside Houston that flooded during Harvey are now suing the owner for gross negligence, seeking $1 million in damages. A state judge granted a temporary restraining order to prevent plant owner Arkema Inc. from removing evidence or altering the scene. The suit alleges Arkema failed to properly store the estimated 18 tons of chemicals that burned or prepare for a major flood even though it was a foreseeable event. Record rains from Harvey flooded the plant 25 miles northeast of Houston with six feet of water, according to a report Arkema filed with the state. The storm knocked out power and therefore the refrigeration needed to keep the chemicals stable. The chemical compounds became unstable and exploded in flames more than 30 feet high early on Aug. 31, spewing an acrid plume of black smoke. The suit says workers doubled over vomiting, gasped for air, and "began to fall ill in the middle of the road." No one from Arkema warned of toxic fumes, it says, and when medical personnel arrived to help they were overcome "even before exiting their vehicle." (Newser)
Sh-Sh-Shark!
This is darn scary! A recent search of a New York home's basement led to the discovery of more than half a dozen sharks swimming inside an above ground pool that was set up in the basement! In all, seven live sandbar sharks, as well as two dead leopard sharks and one dead hammerhead shark, were found inside the property. The home, roughly 75 miles north of New York City, was suspected of harboring illegal wildlife. The animals, which were described as swimming in a 15-feet-diameter pool, were captured "with ease" before being measured, tagged and having their blood taken. They were then transported to the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead. Sandbar sharks, which are considered vulnerable to becoming endangered species, can grow up to 8 feet long. Though the sandbar sharks were found to be in good condition, they were "not in good health due to the conditions in which they were found and the transport they initially went through. As unusual as the story may sound, it's not the first time the Long Island Aquarium has taken in confiscated animals. About 15 years ago, the aquarium took in African penguins after they were smuggled into the country and apprehended at New York City's JFK airport. (Huffington Post)
What the What?
Just in case you don't know, Vermont is one of our northern border states with Canada. So it seems 53-year-old Alburgh, Vermont, resident Mark Johnson, wasn't particularly happy with the job our border patrol agents were doing. When he came upon US Border Patrol agent Robert Rocheleau, Johnson climbed down from his tractor and demanded to know why Rocheleau wasn't doing more to apprehend illegal immigrants. Johnson said people working in the U.S. illegally were damaging his livelihood. After the heated exchange, Johnson got back in his tractor and, as Rocheleau reported, "While passing by my vehicle Mr. Johnson engaged the PTO shaft to his trailer and covered my vehicle in cow manure." Johnson pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court in North Hero, saying he didn't know the car was nearby when he turned on his manure spreader. (UExpress)
It seems that a little more than a quarter of us are quite sensitive when it comes to comments on the internet. In a recent YouGov study, 26% of Americans say a negative internet comment has ruined their day. But more than half say it doesn't matter whether they get "likes" on their photos or not. And while 26% of Americans post photos of themselves once a week or more, only 10% say that getting "likes" is very important to them. A total of 39% said that likes were at least somewhat important to them. For many, a more personal dose of internet feedback has a greater impact. 61% said that reading a comment on their own post had made their day-only 26% said that a comment had ruined their day. Most people said positive comments had greater power to impact them than negative comments did. A total of 44% of respondents said they've felt better about themselves from a comment on something they posted, whereas only 20% said they'd felt bad about themselves from the same. (YouGov.com)
How Billionaires Stay Safe During Hurricanes
Billionaire Richard Branson promised to ride out Hurricane Irma on his private island in the Caribbean - and he did just that - in style. In a blog post, Branson said he and his crew made it through the night safely on Necker Island, his 74-acre retreat in the British Virgin Islands by hunkering down in the wine cellar! Branson posted: "We took shelter from the strongest hurricane ever inside the concrete cellar on Necker and very, very fortunately it held firm." However, he added that the Category 5 Irma was unlike any storm he'd ever encountered. "Necker and the whole area have been completely and utterly devastated," he wrote, urging anyone in its path to seek shelter. Earlier, Branson tweeted an image of his team before it hunkered down in the wine cellar and wrote: "I haven't had a sleepover quite like this since I was a kid." (USA Today)
Don't Mess With Taco Bell
In Cleveland, police say two masked robbers reportedly entered a Taco Bell restaurant and ordered three workers to lie on the floor. What they weren't expecting was three other Taco Bell workers who suddenly appeared with handguns and opened fire on the robbers, shooting one of them six times and killing him. The other suspect ran off. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office identified the dead man as 24-year-old De'Carlo Jackson. Investigators say Jackson was found with a loaded gun in his hand. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. No one has been arrested. The employees who opened fire are said to be two 19-year-old men and a 23-year-old man. (Newser)
The Waffle House Index - It's Real
You've probably heard about the legendary Waffle House Index. Just for the record, it's very real and still in use. The Southern diner chain is at the heart of an informal government test to find out how municipalities are dealing with hurricanes, tornadoes, and more. A FEMA blog post stated: "The Waffle House test just doesn't tell us how quickly a business might rebound - it also tells how the larger community is faring." The Waffle House Index appears to have started with former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate, who brought it up with the press multiple times during the Obama administration. Fugate explained the test in an interview last year saying: "They are open most of the time. If a Waffle House is closed because there's a disaster, it's bad. We call it red. If they're open but have a limited menu, that's yellow. If they're green, we're good." Approximately 250 Waffle Houses are expected to be impacted by Hurricane Irma. In comparison, Hurricane Harvey only affected 40 Waffle House locations. (USA Today)
And the Harvey Lawsuits Begin
Seven sheriff's deputies and medical emergency responders who say they were sickened by a chemical fire at a plant outside Houston that flooded during Harvey are now suing the owner for gross negligence, seeking $1 million in damages. A state judge granted a temporary restraining order to prevent plant owner Arkema Inc. from removing evidence or altering the scene. The suit alleges Arkema failed to properly store the estimated 18 tons of chemicals that burned or prepare for a major flood even though it was a foreseeable event. Record rains from Harvey flooded the plant 25 miles northeast of Houston with six feet of water, according to a report Arkema filed with the state. The storm knocked out power and therefore the refrigeration needed to keep the chemicals stable. The chemical compounds became unstable and exploded in flames more than 30 feet high early on Aug. 31, spewing an acrid plume of black smoke. The suit says workers doubled over vomiting, gasped for air, and "began to fall ill in the middle of the road." No one from Arkema warned of toxic fumes, it says, and when medical personnel arrived to help they were overcome "even before exiting their vehicle." (Newser)
Sh-Sh-Shark!
This is darn scary! A recent search of a New York home's basement led to the discovery of more than half a dozen sharks swimming inside an above ground pool that was set up in the basement! In all, seven live sandbar sharks, as well as two dead leopard sharks and one dead hammerhead shark, were found inside the property. The home, roughly 75 miles north of New York City, was suspected of harboring illegal wildlife. The animals, which were described as swimming in a 15-feet-diameter pool, were captured "with ease" before being measured, tagged and having their blood taken. They were then transported to the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead. Sandbar sharks, which are considered vulnerable to becoming endangered species, can grow up to 8 feet long. Though the sandbar sharks were found to be in good condition, they were "not in good health due to the conditions in which they were found and the transport they initially went through. As unusual as the story may sound, it's not the first time the Long Island Aquarium has taken in confiscated animals. About 15 years ago, the aquarium took in African penguins after they were smuggled into the country and apprehended at New York City's JFK airport. (Huffington Post)
What the What?
Just in case you don't know, Vermont is one of our northern border states with Canada. So it seems 53-year-old Alburgh, Vermont, resident Mark Johnson, wasn't particularly happy with the job our border patrol agents were doing. When he came upon US Border Patrol agent Robert Rocheleau, Johnson climbed down from his tractor and demanded to know why Rocheleau wasn't doing more to apprehend illegal immigrants. Johnson said people working in the U.S. illegally were damaging his livelihood. After the heated exchange, Johnson got back in his tractor and, as Rocheleau reported, "While passing by my vehicle Mr. Johnson engaged the PTO shaft to his trailer and covered my vehicle in cow manure." Johnson pleaded not guilty in Vermont Superior Court in North Hero, saying he didn't know the car was nearby when he turned on his manure spreader. (UExpress)
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