Bad things happen when doggo chews a lithium battery pack
Jason Weisberger / 11:48 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
image: John Hanley/Shutterstock
Running out of power for your cell phone is inconvenient; becoming instantly homeless is a tragedy.
A housefire was started in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when a lithium battery pack burst into flame after being damaged by a doggo. It is unclear why the battery looked so delicious, but one crunch too many resulted in "significant damage" to the dwelling. Reports show that the two dogs and a cat escaped harm.
In May, members of the Tulsa Fire Department responded to a blaze caused by a damaged lithium-ion battery. In the video, a dog is seen chewing on the battery, which ultimately exploded and burst into flames on what appears to be a pet bed.
Two dogs stood by as the fire and smoke filled up the home. According to the fire department, the dogs and a cat escaped uninjured through a dog door.
"Fire departments all over the country are seeing fires related to these batteries and we want the public to learn about usage, safe storage and proper disposal of these potentially dangerous batteries," the department noted.
Previously:
• Here's some doggo ASMR to soothe your over-stimulated soul!
• Ridiculously adorable doggo is ready to have his teeth brushed!
• Older doggo tries her darndest to play with sleepy new puppy — then wonders why her human brought home such a dud (video)
• Excited doggo zooms into lake as soon as his human asks, 'Would you like to…?' (video)
Airline offers women option to pick seats not beside men
Allan Rose Hill / 10:57 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
image: Antonello Marangi/Shutterstock
India budget airline IndiGo has a new feature offering women to select seats that aren't beside men. When creating an online booking, the system marks a seat as pink if it's been booked by a woman. Smartly, male customers don't see that information.
"Technology is now enabling some things which were not able in the past," says CEO Pieter Elbers. "We brought [the initiative] up as a test … It has responded very well with our customers, but also internationally."
I'm sure it has given the problem of manspreading and disgusting cases of men getting handsy (or much worse) on flights.
From CNBC:
IndiGo's representative said the booking feature is based on market research and aligns "with our #GirlPower ethos."
But she didn't directly respond to CNBC's questions about whether the service was introduced because of reports of recent in-flight incidents involving men — including a 2023 incident where a drunk man urinated on a female passenger during an Air India flight from New York to Delhi.
Other incidents involve male passengers who touch women on flights. On an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Guwahati in September 2023, a male passenger lifted the armrest between him and a female passenger and touched her inappropriately while she was asleep, according to the Indian news outlet The Economic Times.
Previously:
• This $27,000 airplane 'seat' is actually a shower, bedroom, and living room
• Man buys 3 airplane tickets — one for himself and two for his humongous doggo (video)
• These standing airplane 'seats' may be tomorrow's economy class
Jordan Klepper helps perfervid MAGAs cope with sudden change
Jason Weisberger / 10:55 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
The MAGAs are sharing Donald Trump's difficulty in moving on from Joe Biden. Luckily, The Daily Show's Jordan Klepper is there to help them with self-awareness.
You have to watch this video for the guy in the big red hat. It is amazing how happily these MAGAs give a tour of Crazy Street and how blindly they wander down it. Again and again, Klepper asks them why they don't stop hitting themselves in the face, and the responses are hilarious.
Previously:
• Jordan Klepper attends a Wisconsin MAGA rally
• Jordan Klepper reveals the wit and wisdom of Trump supporters
• Jordan Klepper stuns MAGA man into dumbfounded silence (video)
• MyPillow Guy storms out of Jordan Klepper interview: 'You guys are horrible!'
Supercut of songs that may have inspired the Thomas and Friends themes
Rob Beschizza / 10:36 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
thomas the tank engine
The original Thomas and Friends soundtrack (previously at Boing Boing) is a smorgasbord of music theory. In the video embedded below, The Troublesome Train collects a surprisingly diverse collection of its apparent inspirations.
The best thing about Thomas is the unironic, earnest totalitarianism.
Previously:
• Thomas the Tank Engine, Fascist
• Crashes from Thomas the Tank Engine
• Proof the Thomas the Tank Engine theme works with all rap
Book with foreword by JD Vance delayed until people forget JD Vance
Jason Weisberger / 10:23 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
JD Vance (lev radin / shutterstock.com)
The book by the Heritage Foundation's president, which proudly features a foreword by Trump's lickspittle running mate JD Vance, has been delayed "indefinitely."
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts has delayed the publication of his coming political tome, Dawn's Early Light. Project 2025 has become well known for the fascist playbook it is, and the association between Roberts and Vance seems to fly in the face of Trump's continued claims to know nothing about it. It is just another way JD is helping sink the Orange Menace.
Kevin Roberts, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, will delay publication of his forthcoming book in the wake of a media firestorm sparked by Democratic criticism of the Heritage-led initiative Project 2025, RealClearPolitics is first to report.
Notably, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, a friend of Roberts and the Republican nominee for vice president, wrote the foreword of that book entitled "Dawn's Early Light."
"There's a time for writing, reading, and book tours – and a time to put down the books and go fight like hell to take back our country," Roberts wrote in a statement to RCP. "That's why I've chosen to move my book's publication and promotion to after the election."
I am sure, when finally published, this book is gonna fly off the shelves.
Previously:
• Project 2025's goal: Trump as President for life
• Citing transphobic policies, 172+ googlers call for removal of Heritage Foundation from Google's 'Advanced Technology External Advisory Council'
• Media Matters publishes useful guide to Project 2025, the extreme right-wing agenda that 'represents a threat to democracy, civil rights, the climate, and more'
These are the most dangerous jobs in the United States
Allan Rose Hill / 9:28 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
image: Body Stock/Shutterstock
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 5,486 fatal work injuries in 2022 up 5.7% from the prior year. Based on the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics analyzed by Visual Capitalist, "some of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S. involve significant physical labor and working in hazardous environments, like loggers, roofers, and fishing and hunting workers."
Here are the most dangerous jobs in the United States:
Logging workers (100.7 deaths per 100,000 full-time workers / 54 total deaths in 2022)
Roofers (57.5 / 105)
Fishing and hunting workers (50.9 / 16)
Helpers, construction trades (38.5 / 20)
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers (35.9 / 72)
Driver/sales workers and truck drivers (30.4 / 1115)
Previously:
• The dangerous world of underwater welding
• Laotian all-women bomb clearance team, 'most dangerous job in world,' to speak in U.S.
These dancing cockatoos are having the time of their lives!
Jennifer Sandlin / 8:43 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
I've never seen birds happier to dance than Mambo and Samba, two Goffin's cockatoos who live in New York City with Franklin Liranzo, who describes himself as a "Professional Latin Dancer and Photographer."
First meet Mambo. Here he is dancing to his favorite Bad Bunny song, "Tití Me Preguntó." I love this video because at the beginning, Liranzo shows us Mambo just hanging out before the music begins. Once Liranzo starts playing Bad Bunny, Mambo perks up and starts dancing—you can tell he actually loves the song and moving to the music! Amazing!
And here's Samba, dancing to her favorite song, "Friend Like Me" from Disney's Aladdin. Liranzo explains:
This is Samba's fave song!! And so she always puts on a show with choreography and everything! Lol Goffin cockatoos are known for being one of the few birds that naturally react to music. Apparently the close to speaking each animal is, the more likely they are to enjoy music: Is that true???
And here's another video of Samba dancing to her favorite song. I can't get over how utterly blissful she looks!
And if you want to see their human dad dancing, here's Liranzo showing off some of his impressive moves. I just love this family of dancers!
Previously:
• Who's a better dancer, this human or this parrot? You decide!
• Funny parrot can't stop dancing to her favorite song, 'Bacon Pancakes'
• I dare you to not giggle while watching this video of Snowee the cockatoo laughing with her human
• Iggy Pop's cockatoo, Biggy Pop, loves dancing and bobbing his head to Snoop Dogg
Uncontacted tribe attacks loggers in Amazon
Allan Rose Hill / 8:33 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
image: Survival International
The Mashco Piro, an Indigenous tribe in the Peruvian Amazon, have had almost no contact with the outside world and we should leave them alone. Unfortunately, logging companies are now operating just a few miles from their home. The Mashco Piro have been frequently emerging from the rainforest in recent weeks as the loggers increase in numbers and proximity. Last week, the Mascho Piro reportedly attacked loggers with bows and arrows.
According to FENAMAD, an organization representing several dozen Indigenous communities in the region, one logger was hurt in the attack. They also state that the logging was likely occurring illegally on Maschco Piro land.
"It is presumably illegal because the area where the incident occurred is a forestry concession that belonged to Wood Tropical Forest until November 2022, and we are not aware of a concession that has requested or granted enabling rights in the same area," a FENAMAD representative said.
From CBS News:
The organization says that a lack of protection measures by the Peruvian government and the increased activity of companies and illegal operators on the Mashco Piro territory could produce "devastating consequences," such as the transmission of diseases and increased violence.
Two loggers were shot with arrows while fishing in 2022, one fatally, in an encounter with tribal members, and there have been several other previous reports of conflicts.
Previously:
• Rare photos of uncontacted tribe now threatened by logging companies
• Rare footage of the 'uncontacted' tribe that killed the missionary who illegally went to their island to preach
• Full story of the missionary killed when trying to convert an 'uncontacted' tribe
ASMR: Flying fox bats eating watermelon
Jennifer Sandlin / 7:24 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
flying fox, image from Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eye_contact_with_flying_fox.jpg
The sound of humans smacking as they eat food is the worst. The sound of animals smacking their food is absolute music to my ears. I don't make the rules. That's just how it is.
Animal ASMR is one of the best things on the Internet. Today, feast your eyes (and ears) on this exemplar of the genre – the cutest flying fox bats you've ever seen munching away on watermelon! The video's got it all – the gentle patter of rain falling, the cutest bat snouts and mouths making the most adorable smacking sounds, and sweet tiny hands holding their precious fruit pieces. It's thirty seconds of pure relaxation!
The bats live at the Lubee Bat Conservancy, a non-profit organization in Gainesville, Florida "dedicated to saving bats and their habitats through conservation, education, and awareness, with a focus on children and community engagement."
Previously:
• Bottle breaking ASMR is wasteful, but oh-so-satisfying
• Enjoy this ASMR video 'Testing You For Coronavirus'
• Old Time Hawkey's ASMR videos highlight simple joys like bonfire cooking and camping
Spinning out of control, Donald Trump authors an unhinged fantasy about Joe Biden
Jason Weisberger / 7:13 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
Jonah Elkowitz / Shutterstock.com
After another disastrous day of having his terrible VP choice repeatedly shoved in his face by an accelerating Kamala Harris, Donald Trump relaxed by writing and sharing some fantasies about his favorite US President, Joe Biden.
Donald is losing his shit. This is some unwell, weirdo, delusional ranting. The history we all watched unravel in the news and television was clear. We all saw and heard President Biden's address. We know the Democrats are in lockstep, and Biden enthusiastically supports his choice of president, Kamala Harris. While no one around Trump is likely to offer any, this seems like an unwitting cry for help.

Sadly, we've been taught to always wait for the other shoe to drop with Trump. Every time it looks like he is so far down and so far out we'll be done with the Orange Menace, he finds a way back.
"Can we just say it? This man is not well," he continued. "So while we are talking about, you know, the policies of the Democratic ticket, you know, take a deep breath and recognize that the former president of the United States is having this cognitive mental breakdown in real-time in plain view."
"I mean, what is that paranoia what he has going on? This new nickname which is not a typo. Kamabla? What the hell is that? What does he think he is doing? This is a guy who, you know, once was kind of the master right, I never bought it, but would come up with nicknames. He doesn't have that touch anymore, right? It feels like the old guy is just, you know, reaching back and throwing spaghetti and ketchup against the wall."
"But I'm guessing that most people are looking at that tweet and going are they going to get this guy help? Is there something going on with him?" he added. "Because this certainly does not sound like somebody who is doing well or is feeling confident. So whatever concerns you might have about the Democratic ticket, it is important to sort of take a deep breath and say, meanwhile, over there, the former president of the United States is losing his freaking mind."
Previously:
• My money is on Trump weaseling out of these Presidential debates
• The Trump trial brings out the juvenile in all of us
• Billionaire bro decides to bail Trump out of bond troubles
Why are so many Car YouTubers starting over?
Rob Beschizza / 6:23 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
A classic advertisement for a popular 20th-century automobile.
The Verge reports on a peculiar phenomenon: popular car YouTubers are quitting their channels and starting over, with the common context being the recent sale of those channels to growth-obsessed private equity types.
It's the state of Donut under the brand's leadership that has raised the most ire among fans, many of whom claim they'll never watch another of the channel's videos now that their favorite hosts have departed. Despite those protests, the Donut YouTube channel currently stands at 8.8 million subscribers, up from the roughly 5 million subscribers the brand had when it was acquired by Recurrent Ventures. Mike Spinelli, a former VP of content at Recurrent Ventures and current head of content at Motorsport Network, says that these new media brands have a lot to learn about managing talent.
It's a complex web of serious business with a simple story at its heart: the talent never owned their channels, but aren't shackled to them either, so after the investors bought in and suits started bossing everyone around, they could simply start over. The only publisher on YouTube is YouTube.
Previously:
• Comedy troupe loses YouTube account after viral success of 'PS Gay Car,' can't get anyone at YT to listen to them
• The Donut guys absolutely trash a $1.2 million camper
• Homemade Go-Kart Suitcase: hated by airports, hilarious on the YouTube
Tom the Dancing Bug's Super-Fun-Pak Comix, feat. Lester the Jester, Man Puzzles, and MORE!
Ruben Bolling / 6:00 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
Announcing the brand new Tom the Dancing Bug book: Volume 8 of The Complete Tom the Dancing Bug book program is IT'S THE GREAT STORM, TOM THE DANCING BUG! Now accepting orders right HERE!
"That fact that Tom the bug can keep dancing in this day and age is a testament to Ruben Bolling's skills as a cartoonist!" – Seth Meyers
JOIN THE INNER HIVE and get each week's Tom the Dancing Bug comic at least a day before publication! Plus other exclusive content like process pics, extra comics contests, insider info, puzzles, puns, sneak peeks at pre-publication content, and juicy gossip! Please do join the team that makes it possible for Tom the Dancing Bug to exist in this very world. E-Z and FUN!
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Read more Tom the Dancing Bug comics on Boing Boing.
Tim Walz can't wait to debate J.D. Vance "if he's willing to get off the couch and show up"
Rob Beschizza / 5:45 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
Vance, spreading. Screenshot: Fullsend Podcast / YouTube
Tim Walz, Kamala Harris's new running mate, got in an amusing dig at J.D. Vance, his "weird" GOP counterpart, at a campaign rally last night: "I can't wait to debate the guy… if he's willing to get off the couch and show up." The fun begins about 35 seconds into the clip embedded below.
The quip evokes an online joke-cum-rumor that Vance had sex with a couch—a viral story that upset right wingers so much they demanded the Associated Press remove its own debunking of it to prevent further discussion. But that, of course, only doomed Vance to, well, what happened last night.
Easy-going and down to earth, Walz—Minnsota's Democratic governor—appears to be a hit across the political spectrum: effusive praise came from both democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent "centrist" U.S Senator Joe Manchin. Critics seem to be mostly Republicans and pundits eager to stand out.
Facebook is paying people to make the AI slop that infests it
Rob Beschizza / 4:54 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
404 Media investigated the phenomenon of Facebook AI slop—grossly unpleasant images from "Shrimp Jesus" to begging amputee children—and uncovered a grossly unpleasant fact: Facebook is paying people to make it.
"Facebook itself is paying creators in India, Vietnam, and the Philippines for bizarre AI spam that they are learning to make from YouTube influencers and guides sold on Telegram," writes Jason Koebler.
Don't make me tap the sign: "Whatever you now find weird, ugly, uncomfortable and nasty about a new medium will surely become its signature." — Brian Eno
Churning it out is full-time work, not well-paid but enough to live on in the developing world, which guarantees an explosive secondary market of get-rich-quick grifters and tutorialists. Most of the traffic is from the U.S., all the same—presumably the people crudely derided as "boomers" who either don't know what they're looking at or are so immersed in the online shit vortex that they will never know anything again.
One former Meta employee with direct knowledge of its content moderation and ad approval systems, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they signed an NDA at Meta, told me that Facebook is often aware of these loopholes but layoffs have left its content moderation teams so spread thin that they cannot actually keep up with how quickly people are exploiting them.
Koebler deduces that poor or partially-translated English prompts. mechanically-translated from other languages, can result in the extreme imagery that A.I. image generators now try to avoid producing.
Spammers use a mix of copy-paste AI image prompts in Microsoft's AI Image Creator. They get those prompts from influencers or buy them from other, more established spammers who are guessing what might go viral or what American audiences might engage with. Some of the bizarreness of the images is caused by prompts that are written in Hindi, Urdu, and Vietnamese, which are underrepresented in large language model training data. Other bizarre outcomes arise because people are using Google Translate and speech-to-text to say a prompt aloud in Hindi, translate it to English, and are using that often poorly-translated prompt to generate the images.
At the end of the algorthmic centipede? The advertisers tricked into paying for it all.
Nxylon: wood so dark it absorbs 99% of light
Rob Beschizza / 3:54 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
Photo: UBC Forestry
Nxylon is a material derived from wood that's notable for being super-black: it absorbs 99% of the light that hits it, making it appear unusually dark—if not quite as dark as Vantablack paint. It was created by accident by a research team at the University of British Columbia working on making wood waterproof.
Professor Philip Evans and PhD student Kenny Cheng were experimenting with high-energy plasma to make wood more water-repellent. However, when they applied the technique to the cut ends of wood cells, the surfaces turned extremely black. Measurements by Texas A&M University's department of physics and astronomy confirmed that the material reflected less than one per cent of visible light, absorbing almost all the light that struck it. Instead of discarding this accidental finding, the team decided to shift their focus to designing super-black materials, contributing a new approach to the search for the darkest materials on Earth.
Specifically, high-energy plasma applied to the cut ends of basswood. The name, Nxylon, is inspired by Nyx, the goddess of night, and Xylon, Greek for wood. Depending on finish, it can replace ebony and onyx in jewellery; one prototype application is in watch faces.
Teenage Engineering goes Medieval with new sampler
Rob Beschizza / 3:42 am PT Wed Aug 7, 2024
Photo: Teenage Engineering
Teenage Engineering's Medieval is a sampl—sorry, an instrumentalis electronicum—promising hurdy gurdys, lutes, gregorian chants, thundering drums and various other special effects on the historical theme. It's a themed variant of the Swedes' EP-133, and sold at the same price: $299.
"The EP-1320 is the first of its kind: featuring a large library of phrases, play ready instruments and one-shot samples from an age where darkness reigned supreme," the company wrote in a press release. "The instrumentalis electronicum is the ultimate, and only, medieval beat machine. "
The gadget has a built-in mic and speaker, 6 stereo voices, 96MB of sounds in ROM and 32MB of memory for samples, 9 projects, pressure-sensitive keys and multifunctional faders and MIDI in/out. It's powered by four AAA batteries or USB-C and is 240 mm x 176 mm x 16 mm (9.45 in x 6.93 in x 0.63 in).
You can run up the tab with an accompanying $100 quilted bag that looks the part.
Embedded below, an unboxing and demo:
Embedded below, a video showing off all the default sounds. Jump 5m in, or 8m in if you just want to hear the hurdy gurdy.
And a marketing video from B&H
EP–1320 Medieval [teenage.engineering]
Trump and Musk having a "Major" interview
Jason Weisberger / 4:16 pm PT Tue Aug 6, 2024
Image: a katz / shutterstock.com
Just who is sucking up to whom in this "major" sucking off of two intolerant, intolerable assholes?
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are going to meet up and chat. Perhaps Elon is looking for someone to replace Zuckerberg in his Roman Coliseum billionaire tech bro deathmatch, or maybe Donald thinks money is coming his way. Between the ketamine and the Adderall they deny taking, this is going to be an energetic, hallucinatory good time.
Trump posted on his app Tuesday afternoon: "ON MONDAY NIGHT I'LL BE DOING A MAJOR INTERVIEW WITH ELON MUSK — Details to follow!"
Trump started his own platform, Truth Social, and abandoned Twitter, now X, for his own platform, but the men didn't reveal on whose site the Monday interview would appear.
CNBC reported on Tuesday that Musk's cozying up to Trump has made it difficult for Tesla to bring in corporate buyers who are too concerned about Trump's brand being too toxic.
Maybe Trump thinks he is getting a Major Award.
Previously:
• Musk's Twitter to bring back Trump
• Tesla pulls a Trump, smears critical press outlet as 'extremists'
• Trump's social media network loses less than Elon Musk's
• Trump upset at Musk's lies
Compare Harris and Trump phone calls asking Walz and Vance to join them: the difference is striking (video)
Carla Sinclair / 3:53 pm PT Tue Aug 6, 2024
Image: lev radin / shutterstock.com
Kamala Harris posted a video of the phone call she made this morning asking Gov. Tim Walz to join her on the 2024 ticket, and comparing it to the same call Trump made asking Vance to be his running mate perfectly sums up the stark differences between the two parties.
While a beaming Harris started off the call by saying to Walz, "Good morning, Governor! Listen, I want you to do this with me. Let's do this together. … Would you be my running mate?" Trump's call to Vance was stressful, to say the least. Because, as Vance later admitted, the convicted ex-president began the call by scolding him for missing an earlier call.
"I'm like, 'Oh no,'" Vance said when recounting how he missed King Trump's first phone call. He then nervously called Trump back, who taunted Vance for his misstep. "JD, you missed a very important phone call, and now I'm going to have to pick someone else."
And while Walz and Harris continued with a warm, complimentary exchange, with Walz saying, "I would be honored, Madam Vice President," and Harris saying, "I have the upmost respect for you," the MAGA phone call naturally took an ugly turn. In fact, Vance's first reaction upon hearing Trump's menacing voice was to take it out on his his 7-year-old son, who was trying to talk to Vance about Pikachu. "I'm like, Son, shut the hell up." (See Harris' video below, followed by second video of Vance, posted by Patriot Takes.)
If these two phone calls don't sum up the vibe that each duo would bring to the White House and thus the entire country, I don't know what does.
Previously: How it is going for JD Vance in one screenshot
Trump's worst nightmare: Harris leaps ahead in latest poll as enthusiasm gap widens
Ellsworth Toohey / 2:58 pm PT Tue Aug 6, 2024
The 2024 Presidential Contest (August 2024) NPR/PBS News/Marist National Poll
The party of normalcy is ahead of the creepy fraudster party by three percentage points, according to the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist Presidential election poll. That means 51% favor former federal prosecutor and current VP Kamala Harris while 48% think it's a good idea to have the pussy-grabbing, 78-year-old criminal Donald Trump occupy the Oval Office.
"That result is 4 points better than just after Harris got into the race two weeks ago when President Biden bowed out," reports NPR. "Harris maintains a 3-point lead (48%-45%) when third-party choices are offered, too."
From NPR:
Harris is benefiting from a boost in enthusiasm with core Democratic voter groups.
Black, Latino and younger voters are saying they're more fired up to vote now that Harris is in the race.
Black voters, Latinos and Gen Z/millennial voters have all jumped double-digits in saying they're definitely voting.
In July, just 71% of Black voters, 68% of Latinos and 65% of Gen Z/millennials said they were definitely voting, among the lowest of any groups.
But now, that's up to 81% with Black voters, 84% with Latinos and 80% with Gen Z/millennials, closer to being on par with white voters than in previous surveys.
Note that the survey took place before Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her VP running mate. It remains to be seen whether his addition to the ticket will peel more votes from Trump among the coveted white guys who duck hunt vote.
Previously:
• More Republicans endorse Kamala Harris
Mysterious case of American woman found chained to a tree in Indian forest was a hoax, say doctors and police
Ellsworth Toohey / 2:14 pm PT Tue Aug 6, 2024
Irina Markova/shutterstock.com
Ten days ago, a 50-year-old American woman was discovered chained to a tree in an Indian forest.
The woman was found by a local cow herder. "I heard a woman screaming loudly," the herder told authorities. "When I went there, I saw that one of her legs was tied to a tree. She was screaming like an animal."
The herder contacted the local police, who cut the chain and took her to the hospital. Unable to speak at the time, she used a notepad to describe how her husband had "chained her and left her in the forest to die without food or water." She said she had been deprived of food and water for 40 days – a detail that immediately raised suspicions, since no one can live without water for that long.
But this week, police officials told the BBC that she later admitted to fabricating the story about her husband. In fact, she revealed she wasn't even married. She told the police that she hallucinated the initial account due to her mental state at the time.
She said she panicked when her visa expired and she found herself low on funds. In a desperate move, she purchased locks and chains and tied herself to the tree.
Currently, she is receiving treatment at a psychiatric facility. The head of the hospital said: "Her condition is improving. She eats, walks, and also exercises. We are treating her and providing nutrients that her body was lacking."
Authorities have contacted her family in the United States, and they are making plans to bring her home safely.
Previously: Stubborn tree stump exacts revenge on would-be uprooter
Tim Walz — meet the fun and normal VP pick in 2-minute montage: "We're not afraid of weird people" (video)
Carla Sinclair / 1:41 pm PT Tue Aug 6, 2024
Image: Meidas Touch
Still wondering who Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is? Hours after he became Kamala Harris' running mate, a 2-minute montage says it all. In a nutshell: "We're not afraid of weird people. We're a little bit creeped out, but we're not afraid."
In the Meidas Touch video below, you'll also learn that, unlike the MAGA party, the former North Star State congressman-turned-governor-turned-VP candidate does not believe the government has the right to interfere in people's personal lives. "We are not putting government between you and your doctor. We're not telling you who you can marry. And here in Minnesota, you're free to read what you want to and free to not read."
After the corndog munching, former state champion football coach condemns fascists who "depend on us going back," he hilariously asks, "How often in 100 days do you get to change the trajectory of the world … and how often do you get to make that bastard wake up afterwards and know that a Black woman kicked his ass and sent him on the road?"
Previously: Kamala picks Tim Walz for VP, and Trump struggles with spelling
Gov. Walz and his daughter ride "The Slingshot" at the state fair
Jason Weisberger / 12:05 pm PT Tue Aug 6, 2024
Image: YouTube
This video does a wonderful job of showing you who Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is. The father-daughter exchange is priceless.
Today, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for President, selected Tim Walz as her running mate. Many folks know little about him, so this news clip is a must-watch. With a wonderful record, every Democrat should be happy with, be ready for Republicans to criticize Walz for not yelling at his daughter. They may also be very upset he was dad-respectful of her vegetarianism, but Trumpsters may also miss that joke.
The Scorpion looks fun. My daughter got me on the Zipper at the fair, and my back never recovered. Also, this video of Gov. Walz petting dogs seals the deal.
Previously:
• Trump campaign fails to spin JD Vance yelling at his son into a heartwarming story
• JD Vance brags that he told his 7-year-old to 'shut the hell up'about Pokemon when Trump called him (video)


























