Tuesday, February 9, 2021

The next energy revolution is near

The Age of the Battery is upon us. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have undergone a rapid transformation in recent years, becoming more efficient, more versatile and much more affordable. Advances in battery tech have helped boost the adoption of electric vehicles and have opened the door to new ways to store renewable energy. In the coming years, batteries may even supplant the role of traditional power plants. There are, of course, challenges along the way: The growing use of battery power depends in large part on securing enough access to the required raw materials like lithium and cobalt. Also, the electrical grid will need upgrades to support this growth, and we’ll need significant investment in auto charging tech to accommodate the shift to electric vehicles. (The Wall Street Journal)

Woman who went viral for using Gorilla Glue in hair goes to hospital for treatment

A Louisiana resident went viral on social media after she posted a video explaining how she hasn’t been able to do anything with her hair due to the fact that it’s stuck to her head. Recently, she hit over a million views on Instagram after she claimed that her hair has been stuck in the style of a braided ponytail for about a month after she sprayed Gorilla Glue on her actual hair. She has tried to wash her hair 15 times and even used coconut oil as a last resort, but came out with no luck. She ended up posting a picture of her at a hospital to receive treatment to undo her mistake. Since then, her video has gone viral on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok with views topping of a million and thousands of comments. (WBRZ)

Pandemic changes the way people use public restrooms

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has changed the way people look at what is clean and what doesn’t seem sanitary enough anymore. Researchers say 46 percent of people are using public restrooms less during the pandemic, and one in three people has turned around and left because a restroom didn’t look clean enough. Expert say people shed microparticles of the COVID-19 virus in their waste, and those microparticles are released into the air when the toilet is flushed, known as a “toilet sneeze.” That can travel up and over stall walls for several feet, and porcelain fixtures found in restrooms are highly absorbent and contaminated with urinary and fecal contamination. Experts advise people who need to use a public restroom:

• Be prepared. Bring disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer in the restroom with you in case the facility is not well taken care of.
• Wear a face mask to reduce the chance of particles in the air coming in contact with the mucus membranes in your mouth and nose — which can be an entryway for disease into the body.
• Touch as little as possible in public restrooms, including your face.
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water. Skip the hand dryer. Use paper towels, if possible. It may be a good idea to travel with a small pack of hand towels in case none are available. Research shows that air hand dryers can harbor germs and blow them back on your hands.
• Get in and get out quickly. Reducing your time in an enclosed space like a restroom can reduce your risk of getting sick. 

(Fox 23)

Man shot dead in while ‘making prank robbery video for YouTube’

Police in Nashville, Tennessee, said they were called to the car park of Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park after a 23-year-old admitted shooting 20-year-old man, officers said. Witnesses told detectives that while they were were making the video, they approached a group of people carrying butchers’ knives. The shooter said he was unaware of the prank and shot the other man to defend himself and the people he was with. An investigation has begun and no one has been charged with the man’s death. (Sky News)

Man apologizes, returns handcuffs he took from LAPD more than 60 years ago

Grandparents can pass along powerful life lessons to the next generation. One man is trying to do just that by teaching his grandchildren that it’s never too late to make amends. The Los Angeles Police Department posted on social media that its West Valley Station received an interesting package: a pair of handcuffs, $100 and a heartfelt letter of apology. The person who sent it? A 74-year-old grandfather from Vista, California. More than 60 years ago when the man was a teen, he was at a local Bob’s Big Boy restaurant when he witnessed a scuffle involving an LAPD officer. He ended up with the officer’s handcuffs after they flew off and slid toward him. He picked them up, took them home and held on to them for all this time. “I have felt a little guilty each time I saw the hand cuffs over the years, but did nothing about it,” the man wrote in the letter. Recently, his grandsons, ages 6 and 9, visited him and were playing with plastic handcuffs. That’s when the grandfather showed him the handcuffs he had and shared the story of how he got them. Feeling guilty, he sent back the handcuffs to the LAPD, along with the donation and the apology that LAPD later posted on social media. “The note is addressed to you, but is partly intended for my grandsons,” the grandfather wrote. The letter ends with one more apology: “I am sincerely sorry.” (ABC 7)

YouTuber fakes medical crisis, films police, medic rescue

A YouTube prankster staged a medical emergency in Times Square, then filmed first responders breaking into his car to try and save him, police said — just to rack up thousands of views. The 30-year-old Queens, New York man, known on YouTube as Prince Zee, is now facing charges of obstructing government administration, making a false report, disorderly conduct and other charges for his foolish January 10 stunt near the corner of Broadway and W. 46th St. The man hid a small GoPro camera in a tissue box on the dashboard of his friend’s car, then pretended to pass out at a stoplight, police said. A witness saw him slumped over the wheel and flagged down nearby officers, who raced over and tried to open the door. The video shows cops smashing the car windows when the door doesn’t budge, and pulling out the man to check his vitals. Medics were also dispatched to check on the man, who blamed his bogus fainting spell on “two workouts and a red bull.” The suddenly-revived YouTuber was sent home but was back in police custody three days after he posted the prank on his YouTube channel. The YouTuber was arrested & charged with the dangerous stunt, according to the New York Police Department Commissioner. (Police 1)

Man uses $7.2M from PPP funds to buy mansion, luxury cars

A Bradenton, Florida man is accused of using $7.2 million from Paycheck Protection Program funds to buy a mansion in Chuluota, Florida. He was indicted on two counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and three counts of illegal monetary transaction. Records show the man established MagnifiCo in 2014. MagnifiCo was listed as a consulting company with few or no employees, records show. Records show the man applied for Paycheck Protection Program loan established as part of the federal CARES Act relief bill. He is accused of saying MagnifiCo had 441 employees with an average monthly payroll of $2.88 million. Records show after the application the Small Business Administration issued $7.2 million in PPP funds to MagnifiCo. Prosecutors said he is accused of using the money to buy a Maserati, a $89,000 Lincoln Navigator, a $251,000 Mercedes-Benz and a $3.1 million home in Chuluota. (Click Orlando)

For $10, cats at the Humane Society will take a #2 on your former #1’s name

The Lexington, Kentucky Humane Society is offering a promotion that will get you the “retripootion” you may need after a recent breakup. For a $10 donation, the Lexington Humane Society will write your ex’s name on one of their litter boxes, and their cats will literally poop on them. If you want to take part in the Dumps for the Dumped promotion, donate the $10 to the Lexington Humane Society’s Facebook post. Either leave a comment or send them a private message with the name you would like written. The promotion will end on Friday, February 12th, at 1:00 p.m. but the litter boxes won’t be removed until February 15th. (Lex 18)

Japanese mostly opposed to Tokyo Olympics this summer – poll

A majority of Japanese remain opposed to holding the Olympics this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic but the ratio lowered significantly from recent polls, a Japanese newspaper poll showed. Some 28% of respondents said they want the Olympics to be cancelled and the same ratio of people think they should be held without spectators, the poll showed. The poll showed a combined 61% wanting the Games to be postponed or cancelled altogether, around 20% points lower than recent opinion polls. Just 36% of the public are in favor of holding the Tokyo Olympics this summer, of which 28% are calling for no spectators while the remaining 8% back allowing spectators. The Tokyo Olympic Games were postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rescheduled to take place this year starting on July 23. Some 56% expected the coronavirus pandemic to remain unchanged in the summer, while 37% anticipated improvement and 3% saw it getting worse. Some 70% believed the vaccination would help resolve the situation, outweighing those who saw no containment. (Reuters)

Deer Killed By Train, Stolen By Train Driver, Later Caught Drunk Driving

One Slavonia deer killed by train was due to end up on the dining table of a train driver, who stopped his train to stuff the dead animal into his cab. He was caught drunk-driving the next day by police at a traffic stop in town and arrested. It’s perhaps easy to understand the train driver not wanting to look such a gift horse, or deer, in the mouth. This is not the first deer killed by train or car within the wild rural landscape of Slavonia. With the unfortunate collision having offered the opportunity for fine dining, the train driver apparently had a one track mind. Police halted the man at a regular traffic stop and breathalyzed him, as they correctly suspected he had been drinking. The 56-year-old man was found to be under the influence of alcohol. However, that was just the first of the finds on the stop. Upon searching the car trunk, police discovered the decapitated corpse of a sizeable deer. It turned out the train driver had stopped his train the day before to retrieve the animal and placed it in the driver’s cab for consumption at a later date. The animal was presumably being transported home or to a local butcher by car the next day. The deer corpse was confiscated for safekeeping until a warrant for an autopsy was obtained in order to determine the cause of death. For his inebriated driving, the man was issued a misdemeanor order, imposing a fine of HRK 5,000 and was banned from driving a “B” category vehicle for two months. Having been charged for both excess beer and excess deer, at the time of the police road stop you could say the game was well and truly up. (Total Croatia News)

Michigan man killed after cannon explodes at baby shower

A Michigan man was killed Saturday night after he was struck by shrapnel from an exploding cannon at a baby shower in the state, police said, according to reports. A Genesee County homeowner fired the small cannon-type device in the backyard around 7:30 p.m., to celebrate the baby’s pending arrival, Michigan State Police said in a news release. The cannon blew up upon firing, spreading metal shrapnel that hit the 26-year-old victim, three parked cars, and the garage where the baby shower was held. The man, who was standing about 10 to 15 feet from the explosion, was taken to Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan, where he later died from his injuries, police said. He was one of about five people outside the residence at the time of the explosion, and was the only one to be hit by shrapnel. The cannon didn’t contain any projectiles, but it was suspected the gunpowder loaded into the device “caused the cannon to fracture,” authorities said. The homeowner had purchased the cannon at an auction prior to the event and had fired the cannon several times prior. The cannon is designed to create a big flash, a loud noise, and create smoke. The Michigan State Police Bomb Squad, Gaines Township Fire Department, and Med Star Ambulance responded to the scene. An investigation is ongoing, authorities said. (Michigan Live)

Some popular baby foods contain ‘significant levels’ of toxic heavy metals, report says

Some popular baby foods contain “significant” levels of toxic heavy metals that have the potential to harm babies’ neurological development, according to a new report by a U.S. House Oversight subcommittee. Baby food products by brands including Beech-Nut, Earth’s Best Organic, Happy Family Organics and Gerber were found to contain lead, cadmium and arsenic, according to the report released. Mercury was also found in products from Happy Family Organics, the only company of the four that tests mercury levels in its products, according to the report. In some cases, some of the baby food products analyzed carried as much as 91 times the allowable arsenic level, 177 times the lead level, 69 times the cadmium level, and up to five times the mercury level, the report said. (Good Morning America)

Arizona Senate Demands Another 2020 Election Vote Audit

The Arizona state Senate also threatened to hold the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in contempt. The Arizona state Senate wants another hand count of the 2020 election votes despite results being certified there back in November. It’s also threatening to hold the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in contempt for not responding to subpoenas that ask for copies of all mail-in ballots and access to voting machines. The Senate has threatened to arrest the supervisors who are mostly Republicans. (Tucson)

Tuesday Is All About:

• Cut The Cord Day
• Bagel and Lox Day
• Extraterrestrial Culture Day (2nd Tuesday)
• Extraterrestrial Visitor Day (2nd Tuesday)
• Gwyl Mabsant
• Pizza Day
• Orange Day
• Read in the Bathtub Day
• Safer Internet Day (2nd Tuesday)
• Toothache Day