Samsung Warns Viewers: Our TVs May Be Spying on You

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If you settle down to watch television this evening, you might want to think twice about what you say out loud.

Samsung has warned owners of its internet-connected ‘smart TV’ that anything they discuss while sitting near the device may be overheard.

The popular televisions are voice activated, so users can switch channels or ask for suggestions of what to watch simply by giving a verbal command.

However, the technology which allows this to happen has a worrying side effect: it records everything else that goes on near the television.

A clause in the Korean firm’s privacy policy warns: ‘Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party.’ (Read more “Samsung Warns TV Viewers of Privacy Issues” HERE)

Read more about the Fed’s surveillance of private information you send to the cloud HERE.

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Freaky Find Inside Ancient Buddha Statue

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It’s not surprising that Southeast Asia is home to countless ancient Buddha statues, but when one of those statues contains a mummified monk, that is certainly a surprise.

A mummified monk is exactly what researchers at Norway’s Meander Medical Center found when they placed a 1,000-year-old Chinese Buddha statue inside a CT scanner. Researchers believe the statue contains the body of a Buddhist master named Liuquan, who may have practiced the tradition of “self-mummification” to reach his final resting place. . .

Scientists and medical staff performed the CT scan that revealed Liuquan’s mediating body in full detail. They also used an endoscope to examine the abdominal cavity of the mummy inside, and they discovered that the organs had been removed and replaced with paper scraps that were printed with ancient Chinese characters. It isn’t clear what specifically was written on those paper scraps.

If you were a monk that wanted to achieve enlightenment and be revered as a “living Buddha,” self-mummification was your brutal option. Monks on this spiritual path would starve themselves for almost a decade, subsisting on water, seeds and nuts. Then, they’d be sealed inside the statue and ingest roots, pine bark and a toxic, tree sap-based tea for another 1,000 days — eating and breathing through a small tube. Eventually death would come, and monks mummified in this manner were said to have reached enlightenment. (Read more about the find inside the acient Buddha statue HERE)

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You’ll Never Guess What Creepy Object Police Found in a Child Sex Offender’s Home [+video]

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Louie, the Joyland Clown mascot, was found in a sex offender’s home. Louie went missing more than a decade ago.

Louie disappeared from the Joyland property in 2005 or 2006 but wasn’t reported stolen until 2010. Louie played Joyland’s Wurlitzer organ (see video below).

The Wichita Police Department will pursue charges against two suspects in the case.

Wichita police say officers found the clown Tuesday at a home of 39-year-old Damian Mayes, who is serving a prison sentence for a 2010 conviction for aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated criminal sodomy. Mayes used to build and repair organs at the park. He’s in prison on child sex crimes.

“It was quite a shock, because we had visited that residence before. They didn’t expect us back, they thought it was a done deal, closed, forgotten case, but like I said, through social media and a lot of interest not only in Joyland but the clown in particular, kind of kept it alive,” said Det. Matt Lang, Wichita Police Department. “There’s many articles that said once Louie disappeared, he would never see the sight of day again.” (Read more about the creepy object police found HERE)

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Jobless Mother Wins $564 Million Jackpot, You’ll Never Guess Her First Stop

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An unemployed mother who came forward to say that she’s one of the three winners of North Carolina’s $564-million Powerball jackpot is sharing her blessing by donating money to her church.

Marie Holmes, 26, from the town of Shallotte in Brunswick, North Carolina, said she also plans to buy a house for her kids . . .

A mother of four kids including one with cerebral palsy, Holmes is overwhelmed and “very grateful” for her winning, saying that she didn’t regularly buy lottery tickets . . .

Holmes said she scared her kids when she told them that she won. “I was telling my kids that we had to struggle no more and I was yelling when I did it. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I saw the ticket and I actually checked it,” she said.

When asked how did she feel about winning the jackpot, Holmes said, “I don’t think it really hit me yet. I guess when it hits my account, that’s when it’s gonna hit me.” (Read more about the jobless mother winning the lottery HERE)

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Duck Dynasty Musical to Open in Las Vegas

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If the South Park guys can make a successful musical about Mormons and the Flaming Lips can re-engineer “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” into entertaining theater, it only makes sense that a Broadway team could goose curtain calls out of duck calls in a staged production of “Duck Dynasty” . . .

Yes, the Robertson family from A&E’s hit (or miss, depending on who you ask) reality show “Duck Dynasty,” the long-bearded, camouflage-wearing, culture-war clan whose mixture of faith and business acumen leaves it frequently counting blessings and money, will be the subject of a 90-minute musical. The show will debut in April in a 680-seat theater at Las Vegas’ Rio hotel and casino, a venue previously known for shows involving Chippendales dancers and Penn & Teller. Tickets go on sale Tuesday.

The musical is based on a book about the family written by Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson and his wife, Korie. Interviewed on Fox in January, Robertson said the musical is about “redemption.”

His wife said: “When we first heard, like the first four songs they played for us, I mean Willie and I cried, like we boohooed like babies.”

“I had something in my eye,” Robertson said. “I wasn’t crying.” (Read more about the Duck Dynasty musical HERE)

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Weekend News Reports: Obama the Antichrist and a Rape Suspect [+video]

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By Joe Kovacs. For all those who may have wondered if President Barack Obama is the Antichrist mentioned in the Bible, a U.S. newspaper is now clarifying the issue.

The Lexington Dispatch in North Carolina has reportedly printed a correction to a reader’s letter . . .

“Boyd Thomas’ letter Saturday contained an error in the headline. He does not believe President Obama is the Antichrist, who will come after seven kings, according to Revelation. He thinks Obama could be the seventh king.”

The correction references Thomas’ letter to the editor published on February 6.

The Dispatch’s original title for the letter was “Is Obama the Antichrist?” (Read more from this story HERE)

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News Station Uses Obama’s Photo for Rape Suspect

By Eric Carriere. Fox 5 San Diego used a picture of President Barack Obama to depict a rape suspect in a story on Friday.

As seen in the video, the anchor, Kathleen Bade, began to discuss the story, while a picture of the president was posted as the suspect.

“The only suspect in a sex assault at SDSU will not be charged,” she said.

Mike Willie, an assignment editor, noted that it was an accident and that it was corrected within five seconds. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Did You Catch the Satanic Theme (again) at the Grammys?

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By Billy Hallowell. If you were watching the Grammy Awards closely last night, you might have noticed a common theme pop up a few times during the show: the presence of horns.

Perhaps the most noteworthy star to don light-up, red devil horns was pop singer Katy Perry, though she was hardly the only performer or audience member to wear them.

While some viewers expressed confusion as to why the devil horns were making an appearance, Business Insider reported that they were handed out to accompany AC/DC’s opening performance of “Highway to Hell,” noting that the band’s name was actually printed on them.

The horns weren’t present throughout the entire night, though, as a message reportedly popped up on the Grammy teleprompter asking audience members — Perry included — to put them away for the remainder of the show. (Read more about the satanic theme HERE)

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Katy Perry: God Spoke to Me Before Super Bowl Performance

By Fox News. Katy Perry revealed she received a message from God right before she performed at the Super Bowl.

The “Dark Horse” singer told E! News host Ryan Seacrest that she prepared for her half time show by leaning on her faith . . .

She added, “It’s funny, I was praying and I got a word from God and He says, ‘You got this and I got you.’ And then I was on top of the lion and a guy, a random guy, just looked on me with a headset that I’ve never communicated with before and he just looked me straight in the eyes and said, ‘You got this.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, this is God confirming I can do this.” (Read more from this story HERE)

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Elderly Auctioned Off On Ebay to Cheapest Nursing Home

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Photo Credit: Daily Mail By Ruthe Lythe. The elderly and disabled are being ‘put up for auction’ by local councils on ‘eBay-style’ websites, with care firms then bidding to offer them a bed.

At least a dozen local authorities are listing vulnerable people’s details – including their age and what care and medication they need – before inviting bids from care homes in the area.

The bidding is sometimes open for only a few hours, at other times it can last for two or three days. The cheapest offer often wins.

Critics last night said the system was akin to ‘auctioning your granny’ and a ‘cattle market’, saying sensitive decisions about an elderly resident’s final years are being made by a computer programme that is only interested in costs.

It also means the patient or their family often does not see the care home, and that those running the home do not see the patient before they arrive. (Read more about the elderly being auctioned off to eBay to the cheapest nursing home HERE)

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Are England’s Failing Standards in Nursing Homes Forerunners of the US Experience?

By Gail Champion. One in five care homes for older people in England fail to meet set national standards for safety and care, a report by 5 live Investigates suggests.

Research by healthcare analysts LaingBuisson examined inspection records for almost 10,000 care homes, and found 20% had failed to meet at least one key quality measure.

5 live found cases of residents washed in cold water or left with scabies.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) called the figures “disappointing”.

In October 2014, the care watchdog – the CQC – introduced a new “tougher” inspection regime for care homes. (Read more from this story HERE)

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Here’s How Your DNA Can Help Show Your Lifespan

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Photo Credit: Science Daily Scientists have identified a biological clock that provides vital clues about how long a person is likely to live.

Researchers studied chemical changes to DNA that take place over a lifetime, and can help them predict an individual’s age. By comparing individuals’ actual ages with their predicted biological clock age, scientists saw a pattern emerging.

People whose biological age was greater than their true age were more likely to die sooner than those whose biological and actual ages were the same.

Four independent studies tracked the lives of almost 5,000 older people for up to 14 years. Each person’s biological age was measured from a blood sample at the outset, and participants were followed up throughout the study.

Researchers found that the link between having a faster-running biological clock and early death held true even after accounting for other factors such as smoking, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. (Read more about DNA helping show your lifespan HERE)

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Six Year Old Girl Eaten By Piranhas on Canoeing Trip With Her Grandma

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Photo Credit: BBCA six-year-old girl has been found dead in Brazil after being surrounded and devoured by a large shoal of piranhas.

Family members said she was with her grandmother and four other children in a canoe, which capsized in a storm.

Her grandmother managed to bring the other children back into the boat, but was not able to reach the victim, named by local media outlets as Adrila Muniz.

A group of townspeople in the northern state of Para helped to search for the girl, but found her unresponsive.

The incident happened in the Maicuru River near the town of Monte Alegre on the afternoon of 27 January. (Read more about the girl who was eaten by piranhas HERE)

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