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The rating system used to measure the heat from peppers is called “The Scoville Scale.” An average jalapeno pepper rates 5,000 units on the Scoville scale. The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion incinerates that with an average of 1.2 million heat units.

You may be wondering, “do people actually eat these volcanic vegetables?” The answer is yes. Paul Bosland, the Chile Pepper Institute’s Director says, “you take a bite. It doesn’t seem so bad. Then it builds and builds. So it is quite nasty.”
Although eating a whole Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper can leave your mouth numb for several days, the flavor of the pepper is supposedly quite delicious. It is not only the world’s hottest, but is attracting attention from the spicy food industry for it’s flavor and heat. A little goes a long way. Sauces are already being made of this liquid lava.

Take a real good look at the picture of the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper. If someone wants to bet you that you can’t eat one, make sure the payoff is worth the pain. There will be pain.
chilepepperinstitute.org

Frazer Harrison / David Livingston, Getty Images

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today:

Jeri Ryan
Age: 44
Occupation: Actress
Known For: Playing the liberated (“de-assimilated”) Borg, Seven of Nine, on ‘Star Trek: Voyager,’ roles on other shows like ‘Leverage,’ ‘Boston Public,’ ‘Dark Skies’ and ‘Shark,’ and her current role as Dr. Kate Murphy on the ABC drama ‘Body of Proof’

Drew Barrymore
Age: 37
Occupation: Actress, Producer and Director
Known For: Her star-making childhood role in ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,’ two stays in rehab by the time she was 14, rebounding nicely with adult roles in ‘Boys on the Side,’ ‘The Wedding Singer,’ ’50 First Dates’ and the ‘Charlie’s Angels’ film franchise, co-founding the prolific Flower Films production company, her recent engagement to art consultant Will Kopelman, and just being all-around adorable

Kyle MacLachlan
Age: 53
Occupation: Actor
Known For: His roles in the cult films ‘Blue Velvet,’ ‘Showgirls,’ ‘Dune’ and ‘The Doors,’ work on the TV shows ‘Twin Peaks,’ ‘Sex and the City’ and ‘Desperate Housewives,’ and a lengthy relationship in the 1990s with supermodel Linda Evangelista

Rachel Dratch
Age: 46
Occupation: Actress and Comedienne
Known For: Being a cast member of ‘Saturday Night Live’ from 1999 to 2006, appearing in movies including ‘Down with Love,’ ‘Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star’ and ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry,’ and her enviably close friendship with Tina Fey

James Blunt
Age: 38
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter and Musician
Known For: Singles including ‘You’re Beautiful’ and ‘Goodbye My Lover,’ being nominated for five Grammys, selling 18 million albums, and having a long string of model girlfriends

Thinkstock

A new Nielsen poll finds smartphones are becoming less of a luxury and more of a so-called necessity — at least for younger people.

Nielsen gathered data to learn more about the age, income and demographics of the typical US smartphone user. Specifically, the firm wanted to know if lower prices are making the devices more popular among those who earn less money.

Turns out more than half of people between 18 and 24 who make less than $15,000 per year are smartphone owners, compared to 43 percent of those aged 25 to 34 and just 31 percent of folks between 35 and 44 years old.

While researchers don’t know if the people surveyed, especially those in the younger group, have outside financial help (parents, spouses, etc.), it’s clear that even the respondents on limited budgets are making room for smartphone ownership.

But what researchers found most interesting is that although the younger set deems the devices a necessity, older people consider them more of a luxury — which is valuable information for developers, publishers and advertisers.

[TechCrunch]

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So why is gas going up? Mainly, it is due to speculation. Crude Oil and Unleaded Gasoline are sold as separate products on the commodities markets, so what it costs to make has very little to do with what we pay for it. Oil was trading this afternoon at around $106 a barrel (55 gallons), while Unleaded Gas is going for $3.09 according to money.cnn.com

That’s the price speculators are paying for gas on the wholesale market. That is before transportation costs, taxes and profit are factored in. They are betting that people are willing to pay more, and more and more. Expect the prices to continue to rise until people stop paying the prices that are being charged. Classic supply and demand.

There are many ways to cut back on fuel consumption. If you have to drive, make sure your tires are properly inflated and that your vehicle is tuned up to run at top efficiency. Drive slower. Car pool. Use public transit. Combine trips to pick up groceries, and other family needs. Make your kids walk to activities, especially if they are reasonably close to home. A little walking won’t hurt you, either. Seriously. Raise your hand if you have driven your SUV 3 miles or less to the gym to ride a stationary bike or walk on a treadmill.

Eliminating a lot of short trips or biking or hoofing it can add up to some real savings. I do a lot of these things already, and it’s fun to beat the oil companies at their own game. You might lose a few unwanted pounds in the process. Or you can cough up 4 and 5 bucks a gallon. I know what I’m going to do.

Jason Merritt, Getty Images

Whitney Houston may have had one of the most recognizable voices in pop music, which brought her great success, fame and fortune. Apparently, the singer’s financial resources may have dwindled down to almost nothing, since her family sold footage of her celebrity-attended funeral to a variety of global media outlets.

Apparently, the family elected to sell the footage in order to raise money for the singer’s sole heir, daughter Bobbi Kristina, 18. That’s why it would seem that Houston didn’t leave much behind.

The funeral took place on Saturday, Feb. 18 in Houston’s Newark, N.J. hometown. She was eulogized by her ‘The Bodyguard’ co-star Kevin Costner and serenaded by Alicia Keys. The funeral aired on CNN and several online outlets via The Associated Press, but all footage was offline and non-viewable the very next day.

A spokesperson for the family told TMZ that the executors of Houston’s estate “agreed to license footage to several media outlets for customary fees.” Those “customary fees” are being set aside to “maximize the estate for the benefit of Bobbi Kristina.”

Hmm, that sounds like jargon-heavy way to say that Houston was broke and/or didn’t leave much behind for her only child in terms of money. Why else would the family need to sell private footage on Bobbi Kris’ behalf?

At least this money-making endeavor is for a good cause, since Bobbi Kris is in a lot of pain over the loss of her mother at such a young age; Houston was just 48. However, an auction of Houston items is set for next month, and that feels a little tacky and entirely too soon after the pop diva’s death, even though the auction house claims that their sale is helping to preserve the singer’s legacy and history.

Yeah, there’s a better way to preserve Houston’s legacy and history. Those are called albums.

Source: PopCrush.com

CBS

Rick Silva, the head of Checkers and Rally’s drive-in restaurants was featured on the latest episode of ‘Undercover Boss.’ Like the other sneaky bosses before him, the CEO donned a disguise and pretended he was just a lowly employee, in this case at a Checkers’ franchise in Homestead, Florida. And it was also the first case of a boss breaking his cover and shutting down the workplace on the spot. 

During his undercover stint, Silva became bothered by the restaurant’s managers treatment of a fry cook named Todd. Not only did the manager, known only as “Stevens,” berate Todd harshly, but he threatened to take the employee outside and beat him if he didn’t work harder.

Shocked by Stevens’ tone, Silva asked to speak with him outside. First, Stevens explained that he had to scream at his staff or they wouldn’t listen. Then he began to question why Silva had the right to question him on how he handles his workers.

Silva tried to remain in character, but when Stevens continued to press him on his credentials he finally snapped

“I have been in the restaurant business for over 20 years. And I’ve been in the fast food business for over 20 years. I’m CEO for this company,” Silva explained.

Stevens was understandably crestfallen by this revelation. Silva was so angry about what he had seen that he shut the restaurant down on the spot. But don’t worry, it was reopened the next day with a new manager, so nobody lost their job. In fact, Silva even retained Stevens, who was ordered to undergo more job training. You can watch this entire ‘Undercover Boss’ episode for free on CBS’s website.

Source: TheFW.com

YouTube

Is this young hockey player the next big NHL star? Watching the video it does look like the kid is putting out the candles with some awesome hockey shots. Are this boy’s shooting skills real?

Take a look at the video and decide.

What item is most often misspelled on your grocery list?

Read more to get the answer, then use that answer to collect your Cars 108 Passenger Rewards – good for awesome prizes online.

The answer:  Mayonnaise! (Don’t forget the second ‘n’)

Congratulations to today’s winner, Jeanie Lee from Clarkston.

YouTube

Batman will generally only don his bat-suit when there is crime that needs to be fought. However, there is another caped crusader — Toronto Batman — who has no problem slipping into the iconic costume just because he wants to enjoy a night on the town.

Toronto Batman was kind enough to record his latest experiences in his Canadian hometown.

As you can see, Batman doesn’t have to take down bad guys to contribute to society. His mere presence seems to cheer people up, even when he is rambling on about his dead parents or berating moviegoers for being way too early to see ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’ And, yes, Toronto Batman will pose for pictures.

The video would’ve probably been better if Batman was little easier to understand. Although his often inedible utterances work as both a parody of Christian Bale’s unusually low register when he plays the part and the controversy surrounding ’The Dark Knight Rises’ villain Bane, whose muffled dialogue has been difficult to decipher in the movie’s trailers.

We’re also pleased to see that superheroes also struggle to open up a beef jerky. Since it’s 2012, Toronto Batman is on Twitter, and you can follow him here.

Source: TheFW.com

Paul Morigi, Getty Images

State lawmakers in Indiana were recently presented with a resolution to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts organization and honor the positive influence the group has had on American women. Representative Bob Morris, a Republican from Fort Wayne, was the only representative to refuse to sign, citing a belief that the Girl Scouts is a “radicalized organization.”

The Indiana lawmaker sent a letter to his colleagues saying he plans to pull his daughters from their Girl Scout troop after he found information online claiming that the group “sexualizes” girls and promotes homosexuality. One source he cited was a conservative “news” website called World Net Daily.

In his letter, he claimed to have found allegations that the Girl Scouts are actually a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood that encourages the girls to have sex. He continued to say that the people who the Girl Scouts consider to be role models are all “feminists, lesbians, or Communists.”

He also mentioned an allegation that the organization allows transgender females to join. This misstatement of the facts was most likely based on a situation that arose last fall when a transgender male child was refused membership in a Colorado troop, but then allowed to join by the national organization, which encourages inclusiveness.

The scouts have received criticism for this inclusiveness and many groups and websites have been working very hard to “expose” them. Diane Tipton, president of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital said in response, “Misinformation is passing as fact. The Girl Scout organization does not take a position on abortion or birth control, and these topics are not part of the Girl Scout program or our materials. We believe these matters are best discussed by girls with their families.”

At this time, the Girl Scouts are not planning any changes in policy, but they have released a statement explaining where they stand on sensitive issues.

[via Huffington Post]

Abercrombie

This guy was everywhere — on billboards, in magazines, on Abercrombie & Fitch shopping bags — and then he disappeared. Who was he?

In case you’re one of those people who treat hott guys as more than just a piece of meat, the male model’s name is Maxwell Zagorski. And he didn’t disappear. Zagorski was one of Abercrombie’s shirtless and sexy studs from 2006-2008, and then he was quickly picked up by International Jock in 2009 and became the face and body model for Levi’s Underwear.

We’ll be keeping an eye on this one, that’s for sure.

Mariano Vivanco

International Jock

International Jock

International Jock

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

Facing huge budget shortfalls, the United States Postal Service has proposed solutions including closing hundreds of post offices and eliminating Saturday deliveries. Now it may be considering jacking up the price of stamps, too.

The popularity of internet services like online bill pay have led in part to a 1.7 percent decline in mail volume, causing the USPS to anticipate losing $14.1 billion in 2012 — with bigger losses expected in the years to come.

In response, postal officials sent a letter to Congress last Thursday in which they recommended several changes, including the possibility of increasing the price of a stamp from its current 45 cents up to 50 cents. While stamp prices have gone up four times since 2006, chief financial officer Joe Corbett said, “Clearly, we’re [still] underpriced [and] would like the ability to move that price up.”

The USPS says the extra nickel, which would likely be added in one or two-cent increments until 2015, would raise revenues by $1 billion annually. Although taxpayers don’t foot the bill to keep the postal service running, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe told Congress that failing to help the organization limit its losses would result in a “long-term burden to the American taxpayer.”

[Time]

Mark Davis, Getty Images

Last week, Charlie Sheen said Ashton Kutcher was terrible on “Two and a Half Men” and went off on a tangent about Warner Brothers. Now Charlie is apologizing to Ashton by saying he’s sorry for being disrespectful for a guy who’s doing his best. So, is that really an apology or is he still knocking Kutcher down?

Charlie does go on in his apology to say Ashton could do better and wishes him well. On a side note, his new TV show “Anger Management” starts on March 22 and will air on FX. Are you going to watch it?

Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images

Now this is a little creepy: Whitney Houston‘s black velvet dress and earrings she wore in the movie ‘The Bodyguard’ will be up for auction next month. Auction house Julien’s Auctions has put up the items for bidding as part of its Hollywood Legends auction event on March 31 and April 1.

Considering that Houston’s funeral and burial service was this past weekend, isn’t too soon to start auctioning off Nippy’s wares?

According to celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien, the items were available after the late singer’s untimely death on Feb. 11 and will be included in a group of other Hollywood collectibles including Charlton Heston’s robe and staff he used in ‘The Ten Commandments’ and a vintage Christian Dior gown worn by Grace Kelly.

But let’s keep it real — the main attraction is Houston’s ‘Bodyguard’ memorabilia.

In response to Houston’s items being on the auction block Julien tells Billboard, “It’s a celebration of her life. If you hide these things in fear that you’re going to offend someone — her life is to be celebrated. These items are historic now that she passed. They become a part of history. They should be in museums. She’s lived a life and had a career that nobody else has ever had.”

Julien continues: “[Houston is] someone who’s going to maintain a collectability. For people who are fans of Whitney Houston and never would have had a chance to meet her and never got to talk to her, these are items that literally touched a part of her life. They are a way to relate to her or be a part of her life without having known her.”

Up for bidding is the late singer’s floor-length black dress, which is worth a $1,000. There’s also a vest Houston wore in ‘The Bodyguard’ that is listed at $400 and a pair of faux-pearl earrings that is priced at $600. All these items prices will undoubtedly skyrocket once the bidding war starts at the auction event.

Houston fans and other collectors can bid online, by phone or in person during the Hollywood Legends auction event at Julien’s Auction in Beverly Hills, Calif. Good luck!

What do you think? Is it too soon to start selling off Whitney Houston’s memorabilia? Sound off in the comments below.

Source: PopCrush.com

kams_world, Flickr

Theft charges serious enough to warrant a jury trial typically involve stolen goods that are pretty expensive (just ask Lindsay Lohan about that).

But you don’t have to steal high-dollar stuff to get in that kind of trouble — in fact, a New Mexico college student is about to go on trial for allegedly forgetting to pay for a $2 pumpkin.

Lauren Medina, 23, will have her day in court on Tuesday. She’s accused of stealing the small gourd from a local pumpkin patch in October.

But her sister, Annette Atencio, says the whole thing was a big misunderstanding that’s been completely overblown. On that fateful day last year, the two siblings had enjoyed a day at the pumpkin patch, spending $75 on funnel cakes and other food. When they left, Medina simply forgot to pay for the pumpkin, Atencio says.

When police approached them, Atencio maintains her sister apologized and immediately offered to pony up the cash, but the cops refused and “she was handcuffed immediately — end of story, no ifs or buts.”

After Medina was given an order to appear in court, she thought the charges would be dropped. Instead, prosecutors gave her the option of pleading guilty and doing probation — and when she refused, the case was remanded to trial.

Atencio is infuriated by the debacle, especially because her sister has never been in trouble with the law before. “I’m in disbelief,” she said. “The more I talk about it, the angrier I get.”

[via KOAT]

Source: TheFW.com

YouTube

I have three kids, all of whom are very picky eaters.  I struggle to get them to eat their dinner, and it sometimes turns into a stand off.  I have threatened them with no bedtime snacks, but would never go as far as this Sanilac County woman did.

A family member was not happy with the way the 21-year-old mother was parenting her son, recorded a video of her force-feeding her choking son, and later posted on YouTube.  That video prompted criminal charges against Jacqueline Caiger.  She has since been released on a personal recognizance bond, and the family moved to St. Clair County.

What is shocking about the video is the fact that the father is just sitting there doing nothing.  This couple has two other kids.  The video has been removed from YouTube, but ABC12 did a report on this story, and they do show parts of the video.

Do you think the mother went too far?  Should the father have stepped in?  Leave your thoughts and comments below.

WJRT-TV

Erin Bishop

We had a chance to visit another school today for our Teacher Honor Roll and this week’s winner is Sue Fisher, an eighth grade teacher at McKinley Middle School. She was nominated by one of her students for being a mentor, teacher, counselor and a mother figure to all of her students. We dropped off goodies from Great Harvest Bread Company so if you want us to visit your teacher, nominate them today.

Virgin Galactic

Last month Virgin Galactic announced it would begin offering commercial space flights later this year.

The two-and-a-half hour trip just cracks the space barrier and offers about five minutes of weightlessness. It also comes with a fairly prohibitive price tag of $200,000 a pop.

But let’s say money was no object. Would you want to be among the first commercial space travelers?

Poll Position asked 1,145 adults that very question and found that only 23 percent thought the thrill of the great beyond outweighed the risks. Fifty-two percent said they would not be willing to take such a flight and 26 percent had no opinion.

[Poll Position]

KABC

Maybe the word ‘hero’ gets tossed around too much, but for a teenager in Ida Township, in the Southeast corner of Michigan, it definitely applies!

Meet Austin Smith, a kid that deserves a bigger chunk of Gramps’ inheritance, that’s for sure!

Smith, 15, saved his grandfather’s life after a 2,000 pound Buick had fallen on him. He and his 74-year-old grandpa, Ernest Monhollen, were working on the car when the teen felt the car shift.

YouTube

The world is filled with terrible news, so it’s nice for us to find a story with a happy ending once in awhile.  Not that type of happy ending. Pervert. Here is an amazing story about a Swedish man who was stranded in a snow drift for 61 days.

Snowmobilers came across the car thinking it was wreckage. They peeked inside to find someone wrapped in a sleeping bag in the back seat.  Rescuers dug the 45-year-old man out of the car, and he was so weak he could hardly speak–yet alone explain what happened.  He said he’s been in the car since December 19th. Probably hiding out so he didn’t have to buy his family Christmas gifts. The man survived by eating snow and icicles.

Humans can last up to four weeks without food, so its plausible that the man was stranded for as long as he said he was.  His body temperature was around 31 degrees Celsius when he was brought into the hospital.  With his body temperature so low, he wasn’t using much energy.  This also helped him to survive. Like bears, humans can also go into a dormant-like state (especially during football season).

[Via Yahoo]

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