Weird News of the World Thread

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Taipei To Fine People Glued To Smartphones While Crossing The Street

[YT]gSgkAwSmcZw[/YT]

Looking to make crossing the street a little safer, Taiwanese legislators have proposed fining pedestrians who cross the street while "distracted" by mobile phones. The proposed law will fine any pedestrian deemed "distracted" about $10 for each infraction!

According to Taiwanese media, there are over 14,000,000 mobile internet users in Taiwan, many of whom are supposedly "addicted" to their smartphones. This smartphone addiction has supposedly led to various traffic accidents on the island, so much so that 17 legislators have put forth a new law to fine distracted walkers.

Taiwan's Apple Daily gave an example of a young woman in Kaoshuing, Taiwan. In late March, this young woman was crossing the street and, while she was distracted by her phone, she was hit by an oncoming taxi cab. She later passed away in the hospital.

These Taiwanese legislators hope to emulate a failed a New Jersey traffic bill. The Jersey bill aimed to fine and educate distracted pedestrians. Multiple states across the US have tried to no avail to pass laws to curb distracted walkers. A Brooklyn assemblyman at one point even tried to ban headphones when people cross the street.

While they're looking to fine and punish "mobile addicts", Taipei's proposed regulations lack bite, with each fine costing only about $10.

So what exactly is a distracted pedestrian? Taipei legislators say anyone who has their head down looking at a screen is considered distracted. That includes texting, gaming, and websurfing. However, people are concerned that it may also include talking on the phones.

On Facebook, comments ranged from ridicule to borderline support.

Pops Berry -
What about the people who walk across the street reading books, do you fine them?
What about the people looking down watching their kids cross the streets, do you fine them?
What of the people who look at their own feet and not the full street, do you fine them?

Yan Miaomiao -
I think there should be a fine.
When we were little, teachers told us to be careful when crossing. No point in not being careful when we're adults.
Looking at your smartphone while walking is very dangerous.

Li Kailin -
This must be from legislators who've had too much to eat and nothing to do. How about coming up with a new legislation that reduces legislators' pay by half?

In reality, a little bit of common sense is what's really needed, but the interesting thing is that Apple Daily's own survey says that over 80% of the people surveyed consider the fine necessary. You know, seeing those figures, I'm on the fence now.

Just two nights ago I was walking down my street playing with my phone in the dark and walked right into a drainage ditch on my street. I'm all for people getting off their phones when they need to be paying attention. And that video is a perfect example even though it's not in english

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

A Hack That Gets You The Most Taco Bell Food For Your Money

It's late at night, you've got a pocketful of crumpled bills and coins, and your hunger exceeds your self-esteem. Thanks to a clever hack, now all you have to do is send your budget to a special email address to generate a maximum calorie Taco Bell menu.

The Taco Bell Disrupt, created during the hackathon held prior to TechCrunch's Disrupt NY 2014 this weekend, was crafted by developer Kunal Batra of Sendgrid, who came up with the idea during a late night Taco Bell run on the way to the event. He scraped the data from Taco Bell's website, used a Python backend to compile the data, and presto — the best bang for your buck.

All you have to do to use the hack is send an email to [email protected], with the amount of money you'd like to spend in the subject line — no dollar signs. Within moments, you'll get something like this:

Neat! That's way too many calories, and all for under seven dollars!

It's a cool little hack, with a lot of potential. Add more restaurants, adjust for local taxes, maybe add in an easily ignored message warning the user they're about to make themselves sick, and we're in business.

http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/04/di...tches-your-dollar-on-late-night-burrito-runs/

Awesome!

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Convicted Manslaughterer/Party Monster Michael Alig Is a Free Man

After spending over 17 years in jail for killing his temporary roommate over a drug debt, o.g. Club Kid Michael Alig is a free man. He left the Mid-State Correctional Facility in Marcy, NY, earlier today on a conditional release.

A cult figure for years, thanks in part to James St. James' Disco Bloodbath, a written account of the murder of Limelight employee Andre "Angel" Melendez, Alig's profile was further inflated when Macaulay Culkin played him in the 2003 movie Party Monster. This is part of the reason why people seemed to be tickled about the release of a man who killed a former friend of his with the help of Drano (in Alig's account, he injected Melendez with Drano; in co-killer Robert "Freeze" Riggs' account, Alig poured it down Melendez's throat).

Fabulousness, apparently, forgives a lot. It should be noted, though, that parole officers allegedly denied Alig parole in 2006 after watching Party Monster. (Riggs and Alig both pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and were convicted of it in the first degree. Their sentence was 10-20 years. Riggs was released in 2010.)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2014/04/17/michael-alig-getting-out-of-prison/7845431/

This kid should still be doing time, he did some really screwed up stuff

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

UPS Just Delivered a $400,000 Drone to Some Dude by Mistake

No one's perfect, least of all UPS. But as far as mistakes go, this is just about as bad—and expensive—as it gets. Thanks to one hell of a mixup, Reddit user Seventy_Seven just got a $400,000 unmanned aerial vehicle delivered straight to his doorstep. Talk about service.

Apparently, the rather expensive piece of federal property had been in storage "for a while" before landing at its new (probably extremely temporary at this point) home. And the really weird thing is, even after being informed of the error, UPS was more than willing to let him hold onto the US government's drone. According to Seventy_Seven:

OP here, just called UPS. They told me that it was one of the undelivered packages in their office, and asked if I've ever had an undelivered package. I said no, but he insisted that it was mine, and said that it was up to me if I want to keep it or not.
I don't think that's the right way to go about this, so I'm going to call the number on the card, and get this sorted out.

Fortunately for the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center, the long-lost drone clearly ended up with someone who understands the implications of keeping his surprise package. It also seems that he's only received part of the full drone, which is a good thing since the propellers on the full thing can do some major damage.

http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/24sdzp/i_think_i_just_got_a_drone_in_the_mail/

Oops

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

This Insect Farm Grows Fly Larvae For Your Dinner

They're safer than fish, healthier than beef, and cheaper than chicken—bugs: they're what's for dinner. To help get a few more of these insects into our diets, a forward-looking designer has built the Fly Factory, a system for breeding fly larvae for human consumption.

The Fly Factory is a self-contained insect farm that could be installed in a greenhouse or even a commercial kitchen. It's the concept of Icelandic product designer Búi Bjarmar Aðalsteinsson, who built the prototype while at the Icelandic Academy of the Arts and has it currently on display at the Reykjavík Art Museum.

Aðalsteinsson's project was inspired by a widely disseminated United Nations report called "Edible Insects," which pointed to insects as a sustainable, high-protein food source which could help battle food insecurity. Just when you look at the farming aspects, bugs deliver more punch per pound than other protein source: They eat pretty much any type of organic waste and require far less food and water than other animals need to grow.

The Fly Factory acts like a type of composting system, similar to the worm bins many people have in their backyards. The larvae eat table scraps and excrete nitrogen-rich waste which can be used as fertilizer. Plants can be grown in the larvae poop, and then the larvae themselves are harvested for eating. It's kind of the perfect kitchen appliance, a garbage disposal and self-replenishing refrigerator all in one.

In addition to designing his insect factory, Aðalsteinsson has also become a bug chef, perfecting his recipes like larvae pate and coconut-chocolate larvae pudding. The larvae, which are high in fat and protein, do not taste like bugs, says Aðalsteinsson. "They taste like chicken," he tells Dezeen. "There is no distinct taste. It depends on how you spice them and how you prepare them."

Aðalsteinsson's factory is part of a larger concept that includes a high-end restaurant that will help make bugs more intriguing to discerning palates. That's a great plan to help the idea worm its way into the consciousness of the culinary elite. But eating bugs is going to become a very democratic part of dining—you shouldn't be at all surprised to see insects on a menu near you, soon.

http://www.dezeen.com/2014/05/04/fl...-for-human-consumption-and-produces-no-waste/

But do they taste good? That's all that really matters

 

[Duran Man]

The last thing a place like this needs is bad buzz.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

The last thing a place like this needs is bad buzz.

How so?

 

[Ant-manic]

How so?

buzz. insects. it's a joke.

 

[Duran Man]

How so?

buzz. insects. it's a joke.

Coincidentally, I was listening to Killing Joke when I read these posts.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Ahh ok haha, ya I've had a few for cinco de mayo and it didn't click.

 

[Alex_Spider]

The Fly Factory acts like a type of composting system, similar to the worm bins many people have in their backyards. The larvae eat table scraps and excrete nitrogen-rich waste which can be used as fertilizer. Plants can be grown in the larvae poop, and then the larvae themselves are harvested for eating. It's kind of the perfect kitchen appliance, a garbage disposal and self-replenishing refrigerator all in one.

Why choose to eat disgusting insects, when you got all that vegetables available?
Yeah, cause the most detrimental factor that humans are dying today is protein deficiency in their diet.
lol Let him have his insects then.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Grilled Cheese Delivered By Parachute, Coming Soon to NYC

An Australian grilled cheese maker called Jafflechutes, a name that I'll address with much concern later in this post, has succeeded in crowdfunding their parachute-based grilled cheese operation for a visit to New York, as soon as this month.

Okay, so grilled cheese sandwiches, which have the perfect name already because that is exactly what they are, are being called jaffles in Australia. Percolate on that one while we move to the next step.

Jaffles, when you stand on a designated "X" somewhere in New York, will be parachuted down to you. From the sky. Things are starting to lighten up.

Here's a handy video that illuminates exactly what you could be signing up for:

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More details from Jafflechutes are forthcoming, but you may only have to let go of five or six bucks for a sandwich by the wrong name, so it seems potentially worth the pocket change.

One last concern: Wouldn't the airborne jaffles get cold before they landed?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...eese-jafflechutes-new-york-australia/8730543/

I'm sure this is just what NYC needed

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Middle Schooler Says She Was Suspended for Refusing Common Core Test

An Alabama middle schooler says she was suspended because she refused to take standardized tests based on national Common Core standards.

Alyssa McKinney, a Huntsville, Ala., 8th grader says she was given in-school suspensions twice after telling administrators she wouldn't take the tests. After her third refusal, she got an out-of-school suspension, according to WAAY-TV.

Alabama parents are allowed to opt their children out with a written note. It's unclear whether McKinney's parents did that. However, another test begins Monday, and Alyssa's mom, Molly Overton, told WAAY that she has already sent written notice that Alyssa will opt out of it.

The Common Core standards, adopted in 2009, were developed in part by U.S. governors, and test results are used in determining the allocation of school funding, making the tests particularly high-stakes for teachers and school administrators. Common Core has become a favorite target of the left, the right, Reddit, and Louis C.K. (It's worth noting, however, that the viral critiques of Common Core math that you've probably seen on Reddit and Facebook are totally overblown.)

McKinley is not the first student who's reportedly gotten in trouble for opting out of tests written to Common Core standards. A New York 8th grader received a 2-day suspension for insubordination after telling her classmates they didn't have to take a test.

http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/nati...cle_cdd51ff7-4b77-567c-b13b-fa2e8db89e40.html

These common core test are a joke

 

[Teelie]

Wow, when you have the left and right sides of politics hating you, you know you've done something incredibly bad. Or maybe good. Although in this case, just a miserable joke.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

This Restaurant in Japan Gives Solo Diners Stuffed Animals for Company

Eating alone in restaurants is awkward. Sure, you can take a book and pretend like the solitude is emboldening. But be honest with yourself—sitting across from an empty chair is sometimes sad and lonely. This whimsical restaurant in Japan has a solution: stuffed animals.

The Moomin Cafe in Tokyo is themed around the eponymous series of Finnish picture books, and it's just adorable. According to the countless visitors who have posted photos and written about their experiences there, the restaurant's waiters provide solo diners with a giant stuffed animal to keep them company while they eat. It's unclear if it's acceptable to talk to the stuffed animal during dinner.

It's hard to tell how much this is just a cute gimmick for fans of the Moomin series or if it's a total rethinking of the dining experience. The extent to which the rest of the cafe is totally dominated by images from the books can't be missed. After all, even the food looks like the characters.

However, this idea of filling empty seats with fun is terrific. Eating alone is usually frowned upon, but when it comes as part of a larger experience, it seems kind of cool. You can still read your book, too!

Still, while there's no shame in a table for one, there's nothing but fun in a table for one plus an adorable stuffed animal.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...t-stuffed-animals-loneliness-japan?CMP=twt_gu

I don't know about you but I think I would rather be alone

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

These shops sell Walking Dead merchandise in exchange for your blood

Working with blood banks in the US as well as countries in South America and Europe, a series of official Walking Dead pop-up stores will offer merchandise in exchange for donations of the red stuff. The more blood you give them to chill, the better the goodies you will be able to walk out with.

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A recent trial in Portugal saw a spike - including a 571% leap in donations while 67% of participants were first-time donors. Countries that will be involved with the next phase of the blood-letting include the US, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil. More details on the official site.

http://www.thewalkingdead.com/walking-dead-shop-makes-customers-pay-with-blood/

Now that is how you do some cross promotion!

 

[Hotwire]

UPS Just Delivered a $400,000 Drone to Some Dude by Mistake

http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/24sdzp/i_think_i_just_got_a_drone_in_the_mail/

Oops

Um... No... Nope. I never received any package. I haven't even gotten mail in a month. Why do you ask?

 

[Anubis]

This Restaurant in Japan Gives Solo Diners Stuffed Animals for Company

http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...t-stuffed-animals-loneliness-japan?CMP=twt_gu

I don't know about you but I think I would rather be alone

Yeah, seems like that last straw that will make you jump in front of a train.

 

[Guts]

teacher fired after breaking up fight with broom, school official says

A teacher’s job is in jeopardy as a video circulates online apparently showing her striking a student with a broom in an attempt to break up a fight at Pershing High School in Detroit.

The chancellor of the Education Achievement Authority, which runs the school, has recommended to the authority’s board of directors that the teacher be terminated, EAA spokeswoman Chrystal Wilson said Tuesday in an e-mailed statement.

http://www.freep.com/article/20140506/NEWS01/305060143/Teacher-fired-broom-fight-Pershing-High-Detroit

 

[KevanG]

It's Detroit of course she'd be armed. I don't see why it's a new issue.

 

[Guts]

It's Detroit of course she'd be armed. I don't see why it's a new issue.

Well most of the people in detroit are armed with mops instead of brooms.

 

[KevanG]

It's an arms race with cleaning utensils.

 

[Hal_Jordan]

These common core test are a joke

They may be, but as a student, you can't just refuse to do the work or testing.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Actually any parent can opt their child out of the testing

 

[Hal_Jordan]

Actually any parent can opt their child out of the testing

Yeah, but they obviously didn't do that until this third time.