Hilarious CCTV footage has emerged from China of a scooter crashing into a car when a pillion rider tried to enact the classic "I'm Flying!" pose from Titanic. In the footage, captured on a security camera in Guizhou Province earlier this month, the female passenger can be seen stretching her arms out on the unsteady scooter before the collision. According to local reports, there were three people on the scooter - a male driver and two female passengers - who are alleged to have been drinking heavily. They escaped serious injuries with only a few grazes.
Watch the video at --> https://ca.screen.yahoo.com/worst-driving-videos/bike-crashes-passengers-titanic-flying-230000169.html
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Ex-NBA player who made $60 million explains what really happens to your money when you sign an 8-figure contract
(Getty Images)Josh Childress, a former NBA player who has made more than $60 million in his career after graduating from Stanford, is now playing professionally in Australia.
In a recent interview with Grit Media, Childress was asked how professional athletes go broke.
Even though he's making less money now than he did when he played in the NBA, Childress says he has been able to avoid the financial problems that some other athletes have faced.
Childress, who was the sixth pick of the 2004 NBA Draft and signed a four-year rookie contract worth $11.7 million, says the first mistake athletes make is overestimating how much money they have.
"The first mistake is, people say, 'Okay, I've got $11 million,'" Childress said. "You've got five [million dollars after taxes] over four years. So that million-dollar house that you thought you had $11 million, that you had $10 million more, that house then becomes more expensive. Most guys buy their mother a house or a car or something. They buy themselves a car. You've got a 2-to-4% agent fee. You got the NBA escrow. So that check gets eaten up."
Childress says that another big factor is the influence of veteran players who make a lot more money.
"Some of my veterans spent a little more than others," Childress explained. "If those are the guys taking you under their wing, that's what you get used to. So that's how you think it has to be and that's how you think the life is and you get caught up in that and you end up spending way more than you should."
Childress says he did fall into a similar pattern in his career, but was able to keep his spending in check.
Watch the interview at https://youtu.be/MehiN-2-ggo
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
5 things to know about Tax Day: For most, it's not that bad
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wednesday is the deadline for filing income tax returns, a day long associated with the dread of rushing to fill out complicated forms and, perhaps, making a payment to Uncle Sam.
Five things to know about Tax Day:But for most, it's not that bad. Aside from the complicated forms, tax season generates $300 billion in tax refunds each year, a significant boost to the U.S. economy.
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MAJORITY OF TAXPAYERS GET REFUNDS
The IRS has received more than 99 million tax returns as of April 3, and about 78 percent of them have qualified for refunds. Average refund: $2,815.
The IRS expects to process 150 million returns by the end of the tax season. So far, more than 90 percent have been filed online.
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CHANCES OF GETTING AUDITED SLIM
Last year, the IRS conducted the fewest number of tax audits in a decade, and the number could be even lower this year, said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen.
Koskinen blames budget cuts. Congress has cut the agency's budget by $1.2 billion since 2010.
The number of audits dropped even as the number of tax returns went up. As a result, fewer than 1 percent of tax returns were audited last year.
But rich people beware: Your chances of getting audited go up as your income rises. Last year, the IRS audited 7.5 percent of returns filed by taxpayers making more than $1 million.
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APRIL 15 ISN'T MUCH OF A DEADLINE IF YOU'RE DUE A REFUND
The IRS doesn't like to talk about it, but penalties for filing late federal tax returns apply only to people who owe money. The penalty is a percentage of what you owe. If you owe nothing, there is no penalty.
But it doesn't make much sense to file late if you are owed a refund. And beware — if you have unpaid taxes, the late fees add up quickly.
The failure-to-file penalty is generally 5 percent of your unpaid tax bill for every month, or part of a month, you are late. It kicks in on April 16. In general, the maximum penalty is 25 percent of your original tax bill.
There also is a penalty for failing to pay your tax bill, separate from the penalty for failing to file at all, but it's much smaller. That's because the IRS wants you to file a return even if you don't have enough money to pay your bill.
The failure-to-pay penalty is 0.5 percent of your unpaid taxes for every month, or part of a month, you don't pay.
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HEALTH LAW MAKES TAX DAY MORE COMPLICATED FOR SOME
This was the first tax season that regular folks grappled with the complicated connections between President Barack Obama's health care law and the tax system. For about three-quarters of taxpayers, all they had to do was check a box on their tax return indicating they had health coverage for all of 2014.
For the rest, there was some head-scratching.
This was the first year uninsured people faced fines collected by the IRS. And those who got tax credits to help pay premiums last year had to file a convoluted new form to show they got the right amount.
The Obama administration fumbled when the Department of Health and Human Services sent out tax reporting forms with erroneous information on premiums to hundreds of thousands of people. Officials disclosed the problem and set about correcting the mistakes.
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LOOKING AHEAD
The end of tax filing season doesn't mean everyone can relax. Tax preparation company H&R Block says many people who received tax credits to help pay for health insurance premiums apparently are unaware that they need to file a return.
If they don't, they may not be able to renew their tax credits this fall for health coverage in 2016.
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Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
What Happens When You Drink 16 Glasses Of Iced Tea A Day
(Photo: Rafa Irusta/Getty Images)
When a 56-year-old Arkansas man went to the hospital last May complaining of weakness, fatigue, and body aches, at first his doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. Tests revealed he was in kidney failure, and yet he had no history of kidney problems, nor did anyone in his family. After some prodding, the man finally admitted he was in the habit of consuming sixteen eight-ounce glasses of iced tea, every day. The case was described this week in a letter to the editor in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Black tea, which was this man’s preferred variety, is high in oxalate, a chemical compound that can contribute to kidney problems. This is likely what caused this man’s health problems, as he was consuming between 3 and 10 times more oxalate than the average American does daily.
By all means, drink tea — black tea, in particular, has been linked to a decreased risk of cancer and heart disease, to name just a couple of its health benefits. But maybe don’t down a gallon a day, as this man’s kidney issues were, according to the authors of the letter, “almost certainly due to excessive consumption of iced tea.”
By Melissa Dahl
Monday, April 13, 2015
A toddler disc jockey fascinates South African fans
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — At first it seems like a fluke — a 2-year-old playing with the knobs and buttons of a sophisticated music system. Yet, the tiny boy is in control of the big beat of the bass-heavy house music. He is South Africa's youngest disc jockey, DJ AJ.
At a shopping mall appearance, a crowd gathers around the young boy as he bops his head to the beat, his large headphones slipping off. Adults whip out their cellphones to capture the moment while children just stare.
Oratilwe Hlongwane is still learning to put together words but the toddler is already able to select and play music from a laptop and has become a viral phenomenon on South Africa's social media.
His mother, Refiloe Marumo, credits his father's decision to buy an iPad for his then unborn son. Glen Hlongwane planned to download educational apps to speed up his child's education. Hlongwane, a gymnastics coach and aspiring DJ, also downloaded a disc jockeying app for himself.
At about a year old, DJ AJ learned how to manipulate the gadget. Not satisfied with number recognition games, he began to fiddle with his father's DJ app.
The parents were blown away when their son, still in diapers, repeated what he had learned on the app on actual DJ equipment, playing with sound effects and bouncing between songs. A cellphone video of him playing went viral and now DJ AJ has nearly 25,000 Facebook fans.
His newfound fame has brought special appearances and sponsorship deals many older DJs dream of.
But celebrity has also brought some criticism as some accused his parents of abuse and profiting from their child's precocious ability.
"I'm not going to exploit my kid," said his father. DJ AJ's parents will not allow him to play in clubs or at parties.
Hlongwane and Marumo are adamant that they will not force their son to be a DJ when he grows up, but say they believe his affinity for electronic equipment will probably decide his future.
Hlongwane said: "I can see a future Bill Gates here."
Vin Diesel Sings to Paul Walker at the MTV Movie Awards
If hearing Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth perform “See You Again” — their ode to love and friendship — at the end of Furious 7 didn’t get you emotional, perhaps watching Vin Diesel himself sing the song to his late pal Paul Walker will finally move your stone-cold soul.
The hulking Furious 7 star appeared early on at Sunday night’s MTV Movie Awards, where he thanked the show’s producers for playing “See You Again” as he walked on stage. And after reminding fans that the last time he was at the show he was “with my brother Pablo” — a reference to Walker, who died in 2013 in a single-car crash — Diesel crooned a bar of the song himself.
Furious 7 and Walker are obviously still on everybody’s minds, as the film won the box office once again with a huge $60 million weekend.
see the video at >> https://tv.yahoo.com/video/vin-diesel-sings-2015-mtv-011005163.html
French 'Spiderman' scales Dubai skyscraper
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A French climber has scaled one of Dubai's tallest skyscrapers, relying on just chalk and sticky tape on his fingertips to help him up the 75-storey high Cayan Tower in the emirate's glitzy marina area.
Alain Robert, 52, completed climbing the 1007-foot (307 meter) high structure in just 70 minutes on Sunday. He had no harness and little space for his feet on the ledges of the tower, which twists as it ascends.
Robert, who is often described as "The French Spiderman," is no stranger to scaling tall buildings.
In 2011, he climbed the world's tallest tower in Dubai. Using a rope and harness to comply with organizers' requirements, it took him just over six hours to scale the 2,717-foot (828 meter) tall Burj Khalifa.
Wisconsin students' Rice Krispies treat a snap, crackle, colossus
By Mary Reardon
MADISON, Wis. (Reuters) - University of Wisconsin-Madison students said on Sunday they have completed a Rice Krispies cereal treat weighing more than 5-1/2 tons they hope will be entered into Guinness World Records.
The treat, born out of a dorm room dare of sorts, measured 10 feet by 10 feet by 6 1/2-feet tall, with a preliminary weight of 11,327 pounds, according to Cream City Scale of Madison, which was on hand to weigh the dessert.
The colossus made by combining Rice Krispies cereal, marshmallows and butter was more than 1,000 pounds heavier than a 10,314 pound Rice Krispies treat made in California in 2010 that is recognized by Guinness World Records.
The students had been aiming for a 15,000 pound dessert and manufacturers had donated 9,000 pounds of marshmallows, 5,500 pounds of Rice Krispies and 900 pounds of butter for the effort.
Danny Lerner, one of the organizers, said Sunday he was pleased with the results after challenges posed by raw weather and warping in the wooden mold used to make the treat. The dessert is being chopped up to raise money for Wisconsin charities.
"We had an ambitious goal and we succeeded," Lerner said, adding that extra cereal will be donated to food pantries or other organizations that will accept them.
(Reporting by Mary Reardon; Editing by Christian Plumb)
This Official Instagram Account Of An Icelandic Police Department Will Make You Jealous Of How Much Fun They're Having
We all know Iceland is a pretty sweet country. Icelandic men twerk their booties to raise colon cancer awareness. They've got Björk. And what about those stunning glacier caves that look like giant tidal waves frozen in time?
Iceland might also have the world's coolest policemen. For proof, you need look no further than the official Instagram account of the Reykjavik police force, where law enforcement officers in the country's capital are seen making goofy faces, taking gym selfies and eating cotton candy. Sure, their jobs are serious, but this doesn't mean they can't have a bit of fun along the way.
The account has a growing a fan base. Already it boasts over 145,000 followers, which as one blogger pointed out is greater than entire population of Reykjavik (118,000).
Easy there, Iceland. You might just break Instagram.
Woman left quadriplegic son in woods in Philadelphia, police say
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A mother abandoned her quadriplegic son in a wooded area of a Philadelphia park for nearly a week so she could visit her boyfriend in Maryland, police said.
The 21-year-old disabled man was found by a passerby on Friday night lying on leaves and covered by blankets with his wheelchair and Bible nearby, said Philadelphia police Lieutenant John Walker.
Police said the man who was abandoned in the woods is unable to talk and suffers from cerebral palsy.
Walker said authorities plan to file charges of aggravated assault and failure to care for a dependant person against the mother, whose name was not released. She is still in Maryland, Walker said.
Investigators believe the quadriplegic man may have been stuck in the woods since Monday. Officials at the school he attends became alarmed when he did not attend last week, and they called the man's mother and aunt. The aunt reported the man missing on Tuesday, police said.
"This kid cannot defend himself, he cannot function at all," Walker said at a news conference. "It could have been a lot worse than it is."
The man was taken to a Philadelphia hospital to be treated for dehydration and malnutrition.
(Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Grant McCool)
7 Important Life Lessons You Learn As The Oldest Child
Younger siblings shape their older siblings in more ways than just shoring up their debate skills.
We might not ever admit it, but being the firstborn of the wolf pack tests our patience, teaches us about humility and, ultimately, prepares us to face a life that will give us a much harder time than fighting over who can borrow the car.
We'll always be there for the younger ones, and we wouldn't be who we are without them. This National Sibling Day, we think it's important to remember why:
1. Taking the blame for everything taught us that life isn't always fair, but to be humble anyway.
Even if your younger brother or sister started that fight first, in your parents' eyes, it doesn't matter. You were guilty. As frustrating as this was, it taught us firstborns that life isn't always fair, but you have to make do. Whether that's having humility or standing up for yourself. Either way, you learn what battles are worth fighting for, and when to pick yourself up and move on.
2. Having to always lead the pack taught us that when others need our help, we'll step up first.
You were the person your parents relied on to watch out for your sister(s) or brother(s) while at school or on the block. You were the one the little sibs turned to when the vase broke or when you all needed to convince your parents the family needed that puppy. Those "leadership" skills translate into life, and give the oldest kids the confidence they need to step up to the plate.
3. Gaining our parents' trust first taught us that responsibility is earned, not given.
One day we're arguing with our parents about staying out until 10:30 p.m. and the next, they're kissing us on the cheek, telling us to text them when we get home, whenever that is, because we're now an adult and life is crazy. Our siblings will complain that it's unfair, but you know it was a long road to get to this point of mutual trust and understanding between you and the 'rents. Being the first to go from child to adult makes that trust all the more clear.
4. Being the person our younger siblings turn to taught us how to gain someone's trust, and keep it sacred.
Whether they beg you not to rat them out about something stupid they did, or they come to you with significant other advice, oldest kids know that when people give them their trust, they not only earned it, but must keep it. We can slip up sometimes, but we'll always have your back.
5. Constantly fighting about swapped clothes or using the car in our youth taught us not to sweat to small stuff anymore.
You can't count how many arguments you've gotten into with your siblings about lost phone chargers, stolen clothes, or eaten snacks. But over time, and upon entering the real world, the little things begin to matter less. You've had your share fair of petty fights, and you know to save your energy for ones that really matter.
6. Having the younger ones look to us for advice taught us that we're more capable than we assumed.
Us older kids don't get the credit we deserve sometimes. We were the first to test our parents' parenting skills. We were the first ones our siblings turned to to understand how the world works. Because of that, we're much more capable than we think and we should own it.
7. Ultimately, having younger siblings taught us that home will never go away, because it's always where they are.
Those memories of family, growing up and everything in between will never truly fade away, because there are people who hold them in their heart, too. We can walk this earth confident that we will never lose sight of who we are, because our younger siblings will always be there (mentally or physically) to remind us.
Dedicated to Tyler, Chase and Jillian.
Cover image courtesy of Anny Backhlreva.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
The Crazy Stories Behind 8 of the World's Oldest Booze Brands
With all these awesome new breweries and booze distilleries popping up around the country, it’s time to pay homage to the older, more established breweries and liquor companies who, despite having their metaphorical lawns crowded with whippersnappers, keep doing what they’re doing and staying cool. Some of these brands have been going for 1,000 years or more and endured some crazy stuff – including having burned down a combined 100 times or so – so give them some respect! They’re almost assuredly your elders (assuming you are not an immortal).
Here are the crazy stories behind 8 of the world’s oldest booze brands.
Credit: Flickr/Bernt Rostad
Weihenstephaner Brewery
Founded in 1040 (but maaaybe as early as 768)
The abbey that originally housed this legendary Bavarian brewery was founded back in 725… BY A SAINT. How many other booze producers can claim that (besides George Clooney’s winery)? Since the monks got their official license to brew and sell beer in 1040, the abbey burned down four times, was decimated by plagues and earthquakes, and still kept rebuilding itself in order to brew beer. And, y'know, to do monk stuff.
The abbey that originally housed this legendary Bavarian brewery was founded back in 725… BY A SAINT. How many other booze producers can claim that (besides George Clooney’s winery)? Since the monks got their official license to brew and sell beer in 1040, the abbey burned down four times, was decimated by plagues and earthquakes, and still kept rebuilding itself in order to brew beer. And, y'know, to do monk stuff.
Sudo Honke
Operating since 1141
The Sudo family from Obara, Japan has been brewing sake for over 870 years, and they’ve been in charge of the Sudohonke company FOR THAT ENTIRE TIME. Keeping their family business going for that long must have been difficult, especially since most kids nowadays don’t want to be seen neartheir dad when the family goes to the mall together. According to the Sudo family history, the first proprietors were “originally… members of the warrior class,” which is probably a pick-up line your dad also used to try out back in the day.
The Sudo family from Obara, Japan has been brewing sake for over 870 years, and they’ve been in charge of the Sudohonke company FOR THAT ENTIRE TIME. Keeping their family business going for that long must have been difficult, especially since most kids nowadays don’t want to be seen neartheir dad when the family goes to the mall together. According to the Sudo family history, the first proprietors were “originally… members of the warrior class,” which is probably a pick-up line your dad also used to try out back in the day.
Credit: Flickr/TM Weddle
Bushmills
Officially licensed in 1608
The world’s oldest licensed whiskey comes straight outta Ireland – King James I gave Sir Thomas Phillips permission to start distilling in 1608. Since then, the brewery burned down once, got some serious literary cred when it was mentioned by James Joyce in Ulysses (granted, there aren’t many people who have the patience to corroborate this), and was used as lodging for soldiers during World War II. We imagine that those soldiers were probably pretty bummed that production had to stop so they could stay there. In 2008, the Irish government celebrated the distillery’s 400-year anniversary with commemorative bank notes. No biggie.
The world’s oldest licensed whiskey comes straight outta Ireland – King James I gave Sir Thomas Phillips permission to start distilling in 1608. Since then, the brewery burned down once, got some serious literary cred when it was mentioned by James Joyce in Ulysses (granted, there aren’t many people who have the patience to corroborate this), and was used as lodging for soldiers during World War II. We imagine that those soldiers were probably pretty bummed that production had to stop so they could stay there. In 2008, the Irish government celebrated the distillery’s 400-year anniversary with commemorative bank notes. No biggie.
Credit: Flickr/Lukas Vermeer
Affligem
Abbey built around 1074
Affligem started as a bunch of knights who loved to help people (in the form of growing hops and brewing beer), and then those knights founded an abbey and became monks – always a solid move. However, the abbey’s strategic location caused it to be invaded, destroyed, restored, eventually burned down by William of Orange, and restored yet again… before being shut down by the monarchy prior to the French Revolution. Fortunately, two stalwart monks outlasted all that stuff and returned to the site to found the abbey/brewery. Just let these guys brew beer! Yeesh.
Affligem started as a bunch of knights who loved to help people (in the form of growing hops and brewing beer), and then those knights founded an abbey and became monks – always a solid move. However, the abbey’s strategic location caused it to be invaded, destroyed, restored, eventually burned down by William of Orange, and restored yet again… before being shut down by the monarchy prior to the French Revolution. Fortunately, two stalwart monks outlasted all that stuff and returned to the site to found the abbey/brewery. Just let these guys brew beer! Yeesh.
Credit: Flickr/R L
Mount Gay Rum
Founded in 1703
Although Mount Gay’s original operation was started by a guy named John Sober (dude was in the wrooooong business), it was when Sir John Gay Alleyne took over that the rum distillery really began to take off. Barbadians had already been producing rum – which they called Kill-Devil – for quite some time using the island’s bountiful sugarcane, and, with Sir John’s help, they exported rum all over the developing world – most notably to colonial America, where it was the unofficial drink of choice of pretty much every Founding Father.
Although Mount Gay’s original operation was started by a guy named John Sober (dude was in the wrooooong business), it was when Sir John Gay Alleyne took over that the rum distillery really began to take off. Barbadians had already been producing rum – which they called Kill-Devil – for quite some time using the island’s bountiful sugarcane, and, with Sir John’s help, they exported rum all over the developing world – most notably to colonial America, where it was the unofficial drink of choice of pretty much every Founding Father.
Buffalo Trace Bourbon
Originally started in 1773
What we now know as Buffalo Trace started as two brothers making whiskey on a spot next to the Kentucky River in 1773. It didn’t have a name back then, nor was bourbon whiskey even a thing… and Kentucky wasn’t officially a state yet… but dammit, Hancock and Willis Lee wanted some booze. Their distilling efforts eventually went kaput in 1776, but were restarted several more times under several different names, eventually settling on Buffalo Trace in 1999, thus finally legitimizing the Lee brothers’ quest for whiskey.
What we now know as Buffalo Trace started as two brothers making whiskey on a spot next to the Kentucky River in 1773. It didn’t have a name back then, nor was bourbon whiskey even a thing… and Kentucky wasn’t officially a state yet… but dammit, Hancock and Willis Lee wanted some booze. Their distilling efforts eventually went kaput in 1776, but were restarted several more times under several different names, eventually settling on Buffalo Trace in 1999, thus finally legitimizing the Lee brothers’ quest for whiskey.
Credit: Flickr/Javier Lastras
Plymouth Gin
Established in 1793Continuing a long-standing tradition of using repurposed religious buildings as booze factories, the Plymouth Gin Distillery (also known as the Black Friars Distillery) was established in a former Dominican monastery in Plymouth, England in 1793 with the goal of supplying “Navy-strength” gin and juice to sailors on the high seas in order to prevent scurvy. The Mayflower, visible on the label of all Plymouth Gin bottles, actually set sail from Plymouth’s harbor in 1620, and the Pilgrim Fathers may have actually stayed at the monastery on the night prior to their departure. Unfortunately, they would later go on to really, really enjoy rum.
Bols
Founded in 1575
Claiming to be the world’s oldest family of liquor brands, Bols was founded by the eponymous family in 1575, although their distillery was originally named “’t Lootsje”, or “the little shed.” Of course, they soon grew too big for their britches (people wore those back then) after their cumin and cardamom spirits grew in popularity, and, when Luca Bols took the reins in the 17th century, he turned the distillery into a world-class institution with a larger distillery. Now, they produce Galliano, Vaccari, and their own line of products… including yogurt liqueur. Bottoms up!
Claiming to be the world’s oldest family of liquor brands, Bols was founded by the eponymous family in 1575, although their distillery was originally named “’t Lootsje”, or “the little shed.” Of course, they soon grew too big for their britches (people wore those back then) after their cumin and cardamom spirits grew in popularity, and, when Luca Bols took the reins in the 17th century, he turned the distillery into a world-class institution with a larger distillery. Now, they produce Galliano, Vaccari, and their own line of products… including yogurt liqueur. Bottoms up!
Up or Down? Photo of Cat on Stairs Confuses the Internet
Just as soon as the Internet got over whether "The Dress" is white and gold or blue and black, another viral debate has been sparked by a photograph of a cat.
The photograph shows the cat halfway through climbing a staircase, prompting the question, is the cat going up or going down the stairs?
The photo has received over 24,000 views on Imgur in six days and prompted nearly 7,000 comments when it was posted on 9gag.com.
“Down because generally the wood would be flat on the horizontal portion of the stairs and the stone is on the back/vertical portion of the stairs,” wrote one commenter, whose avatar is, conveniently, a cat.
“I would say this cat is going up as it looks a bit up and forward. When cats go down, they look where they're stepping, i.e. down,” wrote another.
People also naturally took to Twitter to debate, with seemingly no resolution in sight.
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